The Weasley Bunch
by flowerchild33
Summary: George is adjusting to life as a single father. Luna is adjusting to life as a widow with two small sons. What happens when old acquaintances meet during a different season of life? M for Chap 7 onward (as usual with my stories, a bit of smut in with the plot). 4/25/18-massive edit complete and repost
1. A Small Surprise

**I just did a major edit on this story I wrote nearly a year and a half ago. I fixed grammar, consistency errors, run-on paragraphs, and the like. It's never been my most popular story, but I hope this may bring it to a few new readers. I think it's something a bit different and is a sweet little read. Please let me know what you think. - 4/25/18  
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Chapter 1 – A Small Surprise

"Da! More wice!"

"Hold on to your hippogriffs Freddie, dad's coming."

George Weasley returned from the kitchen with a pot of chicken and rice and deposited a spoonful in his son's bowl. Sitting down next to Fred's high chair, he took his spoon and started to eat the rest of the leftovers straight from the pot. Meanwhile, Fred was busily trying to scoop the mixture with his spoon and largely failing. At not quite two, the small boy's coordination was still developing. Eventually Fred settled on the method of scooping with the spoon in one hand while using his other hand to pile more on top and hold it all on the spoon as he sent it to his mouth. The end result was a large bite that ended up half in him and half down the front of him. George just shook his head. His son had definitely inherited the Weasley appetite, especially when it came to rice. He could mix almost anything with rice and the boy would eat it. Tonight's dinner even included a little bit of carrots that the boy wasn't complaining about.

"Hey Fred, try a smaller bite and slow down." George said as he leaned over to help his son.

The boy took his father's instruction somewhat, decreasing the size of his shovels although his speed didn't decrease. When he had finished with his dinner, George picked him up and headed for the bathroom and their nighttime bath and stories ritual. An hour later Fred was asleep and George returned to the kitchen, brandished his wand and began to clean up the dinner mess. Looking at the underside of the high chair, George once again considered getting a dog. As he floated the dishes to the kitchen, a knock on the door stopped him and he let everything settle onto a counter as he went to answer the door. He was a bit perplexed on who could be calling on a week night. Normally he didn't get many callers at all, or at least those that did call usually came by floo. Casting a transparency charm at the door to see who was waiting, George was stunned by what he saw. His ex-wife of five months, Angelina, was waiting outside, tapping her foot. What was she doing visiting him? She hadn't even showed to sign the divorce papers, it had all been handled via solicitors, as had the custody papers relinquishing Fred to George's sole custody. Taking a deep breath, George opened the door and looked into the eyes of the woman who he had once loved.

"Hi Angie. This is a surprise. Fred is already asleep if you came to see him."

"No George. I told you that it's better for all of us if I break ties. I actually came to tell you something."

Angie reached behind her and produced a baby carrier. Inside was a tiny figure with a mass of red-brown curls that almost perfectly matched Fred's. George was shocked and stumbled back as recognition hit him. Angie stepped in the door and set the carrier down.

"George, when I left you eight months ago I didn't realize that I was taking a souvenir with me. Meet your daughter, Roxanne. She was born three weeks ago in France. I know it's a surprise, trust me, this was the last thing I wanted. Anyway, since you insisted on taking Fred, I figured you'd want her too. Now that I'm done being pregnant, I'm going to start playing again. I've just been accepted for trials with the Denver Dragons in the States. I've got a portkey that leaves in the morning."

"Whoa Angie! I think we need to talk a bit. I mean she's a newborn. You can't just leave her."

"Come on George, I told you before I wasn't the maternal type. Fred was an accident that I didn't care to repeat, but now I have. Once I get settled in the States I'm going to get a procedure done to ensure I don't slip up again. Now, do you want her? I can always take her to St. Xavier's."

George's anger flared as he looked down at the tiny, sleeping bundle. She was an exact replica of her brother as a baby. He knew Angie had cheated on him a couple of times during their last year together, but there was no doubt this child was his.

"No Angie, I will not let you give away my daughter to strangers. I'm a bit shocked she's mine actually, although it's obvious. We were only together a couple of times toward the end."

"Yeah well, Pierre got himself snipped years ago and she doesn't look a thing like him anyway. Bastard dumped me as soon as I started showing around three months. Anyway, I need a fresh start, which is why I'm headed for the States. Now, here's a bag with her stuff. Diapers, formula, clothes, papers are all in there. Should be enough to get you through the week."

Angie dropped the bag and turned around. She paused for a moment and bent down briefly to look at her daughter. George wondered for a split second if Angie may have second thoughts. Then she stood up, crossed to the door and exited George's life for the last time.

George took a deep breath that became a half sob as he crossed over to pick up the baby carrier. Taking his daughter to the living room, he set her down on a couch and just stared at her. What the hell was he going to do now? Not that he wasn't experienced with babies. When Fred had been born, Angie had tried to pretend she was interested, but by that point their marriage was already showing cracks and most times she just seemed frustrated by her son. George on the other hand had been besotted from the time he first saw Fred. When Angie gave up trying to nurse after the first week and then gradually lost interest in pretending to be a mother, George had taken over. He continued to try to work on his marriage, but Angie had come from a fractured home where she suffered at the hands of a string of stepfathers. Finding out she was a witch and ending up at Hogwarts had most likely saved her life, but the damage had been done.

George and Angie had hooked up shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, while they were both grieving Fred's death. Angie had assured him that she was over Fred and loved George, but he discovered differently not long after they eloped. George's parents had been hesitant about Angie for several years and eventually they decided to just run off and marry in Greece. They stayed for two weeks, leaving the shop in Ron's care, and nine months later Fred arrived. George wondered if Angie would have been different if she had married his brother instead, but he doubted that she would have ever been able to overcome the abuse of her childhood. Now she was gone and he had two small children to care for. This was not how he had imagined life.

Coming out of his reverie, George decided that he needed to arrange a few things. First, he'd need another crib. For tonight though, Roxanne would take Fred's. Leaving the baby, he went to his son's room and levitated the sleeping boy out of the room and into his father's bed. Seeing that Fred was undisturbed, George went back to the living room and gathered Roxanne. As he took her out of the carrier and held her to his chest, the familiar flutterings of love for a tiny life hit him again. He took his daughter and placed her in the crib, lightly stroking her hair as he settled her. Next he went back to the living room and unpacked the bag Angie had brought. There wasn't much in it. He'd definitely need to do some shopping soon. In the bag was Roxanne's birth certificate and it listed him as the father. George set it aside, making a mental note to contact his solicitor and ensure that custody was established. With nothing else to do for the night, he checked on the sleeping baby and went to crawl in bed next to his son.

Shortly before three, George was awakened by the sound of a baby crying and took a moment for realization to hit him. It had been well over a year since a baby had disturbed his sleep and he suppressed a groan as he went to tend to his daughter. Forty-five minutes later she was fed and changed and he was back in bed, trying to sleep but finding himself mentally reviewing a list of things he needed to do. Eventually he fell asleep for a while longer before the alarm woke him early and he set about the new task of preparing two children for the day ahead. Fred normally went to the Burrow for the day while George worked at the shop. Molly Weasley had essentially established a day care for her grandchildren and truly delighted in having them all under foot. George decided that he should at least warn his mother before showing up on her doorstep with another charge, so he sent a quick patronus home, telling his mum that he had a difficult surprise and that she needed to be prepared. An hour later, he finally had both children fed and dressed as he stepped into the floo and made his way to the Burrow. When he stepped out into his mother's kitchen, she was waiting with a concerned look. Fred ran to her and she gave him his morning hug before stepping forward to George and looking at the small bundle he carried.

"Hi mum. Angie stopped by unannounced last night. Brought me a surprise. This is Roxanne."

Molly Weasley blanched, but reached to take the baby from him. She held her for a minute, stroking her hair.

"Well, she's definitely yours. How old is she? I'd say not quite a month. Where's Angie now?"

"Yes mum, she's three weeks. Angie left this morning for the States. She's pursuing her Quidditch career there and left Roxanne in my sole custody. I know it's a lot to ask, but would you mind taking her today? I'm still figuring out what to do."

"What? George Gideon Weasley! Like you need to ask. This precious little girl is obviously my granddaughter. Surprise or not, of course I'll take her. And not just for today. Like I've told all of you, there is no reason why any of my grandchildren need to be parceled off to others while you work."

George nodded and then collapsed in a nearby chair, struggling to hold himself together.

"Thanks mum. I'm still in shock. I can't believe Angie would leave a newborn completely like this. When she showed up last night I couldn't help myself, my heart gave a little flip and I realized I still care about her. Then she goes and does this. I just don't understand how the woman I thought I knew and loved turned out like this."

"George, I don't know what to tell you. A mother always wants to fix things, but some things can't be fixed. You and Angie sought each other out of desperation and despair. Neither of you had a chance to really see who the other was. I wish you hadn't gone through this pain, except that you did get two beautiful children from your marriage. Maybe someday you'll find someone else. In the meantime, your family is here to help and I can guarantee when your sister and sister-in-laws lay eyes on this little beauty, you'll have no trouble finding help."

"I'm sure mum. Anyway, I should pull myself together and get to the shop. I'll give Ron the news when I get there. Maybe I'll stop at Gringotts at lunch and talk to Bill. I'll try to give everyone the news today. The bag I brought has everything Roxanne will need for the day. I'll do some shopping after work for a few other essentials."

George went and found his son playing with Victoire in the living room and kissed him goodbye. Then he went and hugged his mother and kissed the baby she was still holding. With one last glance, he then stepped into the floo and headed for his shop.


	2. A Horrible Accident

Chapter 2 – A Horrible Accident

The sound of automobile horns caused Luna to jump in her chair. She was close to finishing her translation of several testimonials and just needed a few more minutes of quiet, but it was not to be. The commotion on the street outside her flat soon disturbed not just her, but the other two souls currently in residence. When both of her sons began to scream loudly, Luna sighed and set aside her work. It was nearly time to feed the boys anyway, and she had been unsettled for the past hour so she went to collect the first of them and start the feeding and changing cycle.

When they had eaten earlier, she had fed Lorry first, so she picked up Sander and gave him the first go this time around, settling him on a breast while she waved her wand and began to mix a bottle. The boys were ten months, and for the previous six months she had been supplementing what she could give them. The two were voracious, big babies and Luna didn't produce enough milk for both of them. Still, she was determined to continue breastfeeding some until they were a year old. They had also started on a few soft foods which helped to quell their appetites. As she fed Sander, another barrage of horns sounded from the street and she remembered to reinstate the silencing charms that had worn off earlier. It would be really helpful if she could figure out a permanent silencing charm. Living on the edge of Nairobi was difficult, but the close proximity to the university made it a necessity. Luna preferred to get out of the city and into the wilderness, but she had curtailed those forays when she was six months pregnant. Rolf had agreed that once the boys were a year old they would take them on their first exploratory trip and Luna could hardly wait to get out of the city.

Thinking of her husband, Luna smiled and ached for him. Rolf had been gone for six weeks and wasn't due home for another three, maybe four. He was leading a group from the university tracking the emela-ntouka through the southern wilds. Two years ago the creature had been myth, but thanks to Rolf and his colleagues at the University of the Magi, Nairobi, the beast was now a documented class four magical entity, the same as the yeti, sasquatch and chupacabra. She had actually been part of the first tracking team that had provided the documentation that verified the creature's existence. Since her pregnancy she had been relegated to working back in Nairobi, pouring through hundreds of old testimonials and building an outline of the history of the creature in the country. The local Department of Magic was keenly interested in the work and were providing funding for the project through the next year. By that time she hoped to have the history complete and ready for publishing. That is if Rolf could ever get the time to organize and summarize his notes from the past two and a half years.

As Luna's thoughts drifted, Sander finished sucking the one side of her dry and she proceeded to give him the bottle that would finish filling him up. Once he was satisfied, she burped him briefly before settling him back in the crib and gathering his squalling twin. Settling Lorry on her other breast to begin feeding, she looked down on her son with her usual sense of awe. Despite her frustration on being trapped in the noisy, congested city, Luna would never regret having her boys. They were exquisitely beautiful babies, incredibly pale like their father. Luna was fair herself, but nothing compared to Rolf. When he was in the field, he had to reinstate his sunblock spells every couple of hours or else any exposed patch of skin would burn to a crisp. The boys had his same complexion and wispy near-white hair. Combined with Luna's round face and perfect rosebud lips, the babies were cherubic in image, if not in disposition.

Luna watched Lorry nurse and remembered the first time she had met Rolf. It was the summer after she finished Hogwarts. Her father had died unexpectedly two months before she finished school, and by the time she graduated she was ready to escape somewhere. That somewhere had ended up being Sweden, where she was hired on as an intern researcher with an expedition looking for the trumpet horned snorkack. The expedition was led by the famous Newt Scamander and was the opportunity of a lifetime. Newt was past ninety, but still full of fire and able to strip paint with his bellowing. On her second night in camp, Luna had been introduced to Rolf, Newt's grandson. The attraction had been immediate and four hours later she found herself in Rolf's bed. Two months after that they were married. Some had been surprised with how quickly they fell in together and a few of the other team members even assumed that Luna would be willing to go to bed with them as well. After a few well-placed hexes, she disabused them of that idea. Not that she wasn't willing, but what she and Rolf had from the very beginning was something different and she knew immediately that she had found her match.

Luna was not promiscuous, but Rolf was not her first lover, she had taken several lovers in the previous couple of years, starting with Dean. After they escaped to Shell Cottage, she and Dean had sought refuge in each other's arms. Once the war ended and he returned home, she had comforted Neville through the shock at the end of the war. Than he had left to study cacti in the States and she had headed back for her last year at Hogwarts. That year had produced something unexpected when a friendship blossomed into something more after a drunken Quidditch celebration. She'd woken up in the arms of Ginny Weasley and discovered that a woman could also provide the relief she craved. When Ginny woke up they made love for the first time sober and then Ginny broke down sobbing, upset with herself for cheating on Harry. The following weekend she had walked to Hogsmeade and apparated to Harry to make her confession. Surprisingly, Harry had not been upset, but had wanted to talk to Luna. When Luna answered his summons and joined the two of them at Grimmauld Place, Harry had his own confession. Ginny and Luna were both in agreement and the three of them had gone to bed together for the first time. That lovely and fun interlude lasted for most of the rest of her school year. When her father died, Luna retreated from the relationship and noticed Ginny and Harry really were attached in a way she didn't feel. She had pulled herself from them reluctantly and that had been one of her reasons for fleeing to Sweden.

So, when Rolf had appeared in front of her, she was frustrated and more than ready to take a man again. Now they had been married almost five years and she loved him more each day, realizing that she had found what Ginny and Harry had. After her initial flight from England, she and Ginny had kept up a correspondence and the Potters and Scamanders had even vacationed together twice. Luna still considered Ginny her best and longest term friend.

Luna's mental stroll was interrupted when Lorry finished with her breast and began to fuss. She started him on his supplementary bottle and then burped him. When she put Lorry back in the crib, Sander was ready for a change. She changed one baby and then the other before settling them in their seats and going to find dinner for herself.

As Luna worked on her dinner, she was interrupted by a knock on the door of her flat. Turning her pot down to low, she waved her wand and looked through the door. Waiting on the other side was Adongo, the head of the magizoology department at the university, and Rolf's research sponsor. The uneasiness that Luna had felt for a couple of hours boiled up inside of her as she made her way to open the door. When she saw the look on Adongo's face, she knew something was wrong and waved him into the flat without a word.

"Luna, hello. I…um...have to talk to you. Perhaps we should sit…"

"No! What is it? Just tell me. Something's wrong isn't it?"

Adongo took her by an arm and sat her at the small dining table near the kitchen.

"Luna, I just received word from the field. Rolf's team was tracking a pod of the ntouka and unexpectedly came across a nest. As you know, the nests are usually hidden temporally, but for some reason this one wasn't. We think it was probably close to hatching. The theory is that the ntouka's time resonance wears off when the eggs are close to hatching. Anyway, the team accidentally disturbed the nest and enraged the male. The team tried to react and cast as many spells a possible, as well as scattering in all directions. Once they regrouped, two people were found to be missing. One is Rolf. They've looked everywhere, but haven't found any sign of him yet. I've sent another team down to help with the search, but I wanted to let you know as soon as possible. He very well may just be lost, we can't be certain…"

Luna sat listening to Adongo and taking in the information. He was trying to give her hope, but Luna knew better. The seer abilities of her grandmother may have been only latent in herself, but she knew the truth.

"No Adongo, I am certain."

With those words and the realization hitting her, Luna took one more look into her friend's deep brown eyes and lost consciousness. Adongo's quick reflexes caught her as she slipped from the chair. Some hours later Luna was awakened by a cool hand on her brow, brushing her hair aside. Looking up, she saw a gentle, round face with eyes full of concern. It was Shani, Adongo's wife, and her closest friend in Kenya.

"Hello moon. You need to wake. I fed your boys hours ago, but they are wanting more than the bottle."

Luna nodded and sat up. She was in her bed and light was coming in through the side of the curtains. How long had she been asleep? Feeling her breasts, she realized it had been a while and she needed the boys as much as they needed her. She got up and followed Shani to the nursery, still feeling like she was in a daze. Shani handed Lorry to her and she sat, beginning the automatic process of feeding. She looked up at her friend, asking the question with her eyes that her mouth wouldn't speak. Shani just shook her head.

"No, we don't have news yet. The search teams are still working."

Luna nodded and looked down at her son. How would she raise them without their father? As she contemplated, Shani gave her a pat and announced that she was going to fix food for the adults. Luna didn't respond, she wasn't hungry.

An hour later the boys were fed, changed and settled. Shani had fixed a simple breakfast and Luna ate without thinking, tearing small pieces of chapati and forcing herself to eat. She was almost finished when a knock on the door signaled Adongo's return. When he stepped in the door, Luna knew the news was not good. Adongo carried a small bag and came to sit next to her. Setting the food aside, she turned to him.

"Luna, the search teams haven't found Rolf, but they did find something else. I'm sorry, but it doesn't look good. We found some evidence. Do you want to see?"

Luna nodded. She needed to see what he had brought. She didn't want to see it, but she needed to. Adongo took a deep breath, opened the bag and pulled out a large piece of leather. It was from Rolf's jacket, complete with several expeditionary badges. It was shredded and several dark brown stains bore the proof that Luna wanted to deny. This time it was Shani who caught Luna as she slipped from the chair, although she didn't pass out. For the first time since her father died, Luna collapsed into uncontrollable sobs. Shani held her for nearly an hour before exhaustion finally calmed her grief.

"Luna, is there someone I can call? Someone from home?"

"Ginny. Call Ginny. Ginny Potter."

With those words, the exhaustion won and Luna let sleep claim her once again. When she woke, the light in the flat showed that most of the day had passed. As Luna's eyes focused, she realized she was laying with her head in a lap and looked up to see Ginny staring down at her.


	3. Finishing A Chapter of Life

Chapter 3 – Finishing a Chapter of Life

Nine days after Ginny arrived in Kenya, Luna woke and realized the day she had been dreading had arrived. While Rolf's remains had never been found, everyone knew he was gone and she had decided with Ginny's help to hold a memorial service at the university. Ginny had been an amazing help in the previous week and Luna knew she wouldn't have been able to handle the arrangements without her. Ginny had also been by her side the previous morning when Luna had met with officials to finalize the death certificate and read Rolf's will. She of course received everything and Rolf's inheritances meant that she and the boys would always be well provided for, but the day was also the final acknowledgement that she was a widow. It was a word she hated, one she had never dreamed of associating with herself.

When they finished with the paperwork, Ginny had brought her back to the flat and let her sleep for the rest of the day while she and Harry cared for the boys. Harry had arrived two days previous and delighted in the two boys, enjoying the practice that would come in handy when Ginny delivered their first in five months. He was staying for a few days and would be speaking at the memorial service, along with Adongo. Ginny was on leave from the Harpies due to her pregnancy and had not set a date on how long she would stay. She wanted to ensure that Luna was able to cope before leaving her alone in a foreign country. Luna had decided that she would remain in Kenya for the year that was left on Rolf's research grant and finish the translation work, as well as editing and publishing Rolf's notes. It was a difficult decision, but she knew it was what Rolf would have wanted.

Pushing down her feelings of despair, Luna pulled herself out of bed and went to care for her sons. Harry and Ginny were on the fold out in the living room and were just waking as well. Within a couple of hours, everyone was ready and exited the flat to head to the university. With the two small boys they couldn't apparate, so instead opted for a taxi. In the years she had lived among muggles in Nairobi, Luna had become accustomed to automobiles and no longer found them daunting.

On the way to the university, they stopped at a local hotel and picked up Rolf's aunt Louisa. She was Rolf's only living family other than Luna and the boys. Rolf had been orphaned as a teenager fifteen years earlier and sent to live with his grandfather and mentor, but Newt had died two years previous at the age of 99. Louisa was Rolf's father's sister and only sibling and she had never had children of her own, although she did delight in her nephew's success and tales of adventure. She had arrived the day before and met Luna for only the second time. When she first saw the boys, she had wept openly and assured Luna that she would provide any help she could. Luna appreciated the offer, but she barely knew the woman and was still in too much shock to be able embrace the woman openly.

The taxi arrived at the university and Harry helped Luna out. Then Ginny and Louisa each took one of the boys and they made their way to the outside amphitheater where the service was being held. Luna took a designated seat up front and watched as everyone began to arrive. The majority of them were local colleagues from the project she and Rolf were working on, but there were also a dozen or so colleagues that came in from out of country. Soon it was time for the memorial and Adongo waved his wand, causing a number of banners to unfurl that showed the pictures of Rolf that Luna had chosen. It was difficult to see them, but she couldn't help looking at each and remembering so many good memories.

The service began as Adongo spoke of Rolf and his brilliance, but also of his fairness when working with his team and his love for teaching. After Adongo finished, the podium was opened for anyone wishing to say a few words. Eight colleagues from several countries took the opportunity to say a few words and share memories. Finally, Harry closed out the service by remembering the last time the Potters and Scamanders had vacationed in New Zealand and Rolf had taken them on a wild chase through the mountains when he thought he had spotted a web footed dunkdunk. Harry ended the service with a small prayer before turning to a pyre that had been set up at the back of the amphitheater stage. On the pyre was the remains of Rolf's jacket, the only part of him that had been found. Harry cast a quick spell and bright blue flames engulfed the rowan wood and the leather that lay on top of it. Luna folded herself into Ginny's arms as the last physical piece of her husband was consumed in cleansing fire. With the service complete, everyone made their way to a nearby meeting hall for light refreshments. Ginny and Harry took the boys while Luna and Louisa received condolences from those in attendance. Finally, around two in the afternoon, most of the crowd had dispersed and Luna was able to head home.

The day following the memorial service saw Harry and Louisa leave Kenya. Harry had several cases pressing and had to return home, but Ginny stayed. She didn't set a time to return, but decided she would stay until Luna stabilized. The next week was difficult as she helped Luna pack up Rolf's clothing and assisted with moving Luna and the boys to a different flat on the opposite side of the building. The change allowed some of the constant reminders to be left behind as Luna tried to figure out how to rebuild her life. Later in the week, Luna began the arduous task of starting to work again on her translations. Adongo came by to talk to her and they agreed that Rolf's notes were the most important. Luna wasn't sure she was ready to handle them, but agreed to try as soon as possible. Ginny was an immense help by taking care of the boys and Luna. She handled the mundane tasks of living like shopping and cooking while Luna tried to organize her thoughts and refocus on her work. What had taken an hour or two previously now took half a day, as she found her thoughts drifting and despair overtaking her.

Two weeks after the memorial, Luna finally mustered the courage to sit down and start the task of organizing all of Rolf's notes and journals from the almost three years they had spent in Kenya. He had a unique style of shorthand notation, and she was one of the few who understood it. As she handled the pages and lovingly pondered his familiar handwriting, she found an unusual peace come over her. Working with the journals came much easier than her translation work, and Luna soon found herself making good progress. By the time she had been working on them for two weeks, Ginny had been with her for a little over a month and was missing Harry desperately. In the previous week, Luna had found herself once again capable of handling everyday chores and balancing those duties with her work, so she decided one night to have a talk with her best friend.

"Ginny, now that the boys are finally asleep I need to talk to you. You've been amazing these past weeks and I honestly don't think I would have made it through without you, but I'm starting to do better now and I think it may be time for you to go home. I know how much you miss Harry."

"Well, I have been thinking about it Luna. I just didn't want you to think I was abandoning you, although you have been doing a lot better lately. Would you really be alright here alone?"

"I'm not alone Ginny. I have the boys and my friends here. No one like you of course, but I'll get by. I'm only staying until I complete the work like Rolf would want me to. Truthfully, I am tired of the heat and foreignness of Kenya. I love traveling, but I also love England. I never thought I would be gone this long."

"Alright, if you're sure. I'll go to the Department of Magic tomorrow and arrange a floo connection. I'm going to miss you Luna. I'll be glad when you come home."

Three days later all the arrangements were in place and Shani came to watch the boys while Luna escorted Ginny to the Department of Magic. The floo office was a small room with two desks and a fireplace that could be keyed to different locations. One old wizard slumped over a desk, verifying Ginny's authorization before gesturing her to move toward the fireplace. Ginny turned to Luna and said a final goodbye, kissing her long and deep before turning back around and stepping into the floo. Luna watched the last of the green flames die down and left to return to her boys.

The next months for Luna were busy as she poured herself into her work. She was determined to finish Rolf's project and get home to England. His last trip was supposed to have been the culmination of the research project, so most of what was needed had been done. Shani and other friends continually checked on her and Shani's aunt watched the boys most days while Luna worked.

A month after Ginny left, Adongo and Shani threw a first birthday party for Lorry and Sander that also was Luna's first social event since the memorial. The party was held in their garden and was a festive affair. Luna couldn't believe her boys were already a year old. She remembered back to the day they were born and how excited Rolf had been. Little did she know then that he would leave them so soon. Luna did her best to enjoy the event and the boys were delighted by all the attention they received. When she took them home and put them down for a nap, she immediately immersed herself back in Rolf's journals and her work.

Five months after Rolf left her, Luna finished the last notations and finalized the formal publication copy of Rolf's research. She had expected it to take much longer, but with her unique understanding of Rolf's writing and her working at all hours, the writing finished much sooner. Shortly before she finished, Luna received word from home that Ginny had delivered a baby boy. Leaving her own two boys with Adongo and Shani, she floo'd back to England for two short days to see Ginny and baby James. She really wanted to stay longer, but knew that the sooner she completed the work, the sooner she would be able to return home permanently.

With the work on Rolf's journals and notes complete, Luna returned to her work translating and sorting through hundreds of years of myth and stories from locals regarding the emela-ntouka. The final translations took another two months and then she worked on combining Rolf's research with the local knowledge and stories. Eight months after Rolf's passing, she passed her completed draft to Adongo for review. Two weeks later he approved it with just a few minor adjustments and she submitted it to the Department of Magic for publication.

With her publication complete, Luna began to make arrangements to return to England. Adongo, Shani, and her other friends expressed how much she would be missed, but all understood her need to move on. She had been in Kenya for a little over three years and had grown to love the country and its people, but it wasn't home. As the publication was being finalized, she sent Ginny a letter announcing when she planned on returning. She had no place to stay and no idea what she was doing next until Ginny's reply arrived. Ginny insisted that Luna and the boys stay with the Potters until she could get settled. Luna breathed a sigh of relief and quickly penned a reply with her thanks and advising that they would be arriving via floo in five days.

Luna had thought she would be busy during her last days in Kenya, but she really had very little to pack. The flat had come fully furnished, except for the boys' cribs, which she had bought secondhand and sold cheaply to the sister of a friend. That left only personal items and a few souvenir pieces. In total, three suitcases and four boxes. With the packing done in less than a day, she decided to spend the time with her friends and seeing her favorite spots in Nairobi one last time.

When the day to leave arrived, Adongo, Shani, and five others were at Luna's flat to pick her up. The suitcases and boxes were lightened before being taken to a waiting taxi. They had hired a van for the ten of them and the drive to the Department of Magic went all too quickly. Luna, the boys, and all her friends crowded into the floo office and a round of long, Kenyan good-byes ensued. Once she and the boys has all been hugged and kissed many times over, she gave a last long hug to Shani before levitating her bags and boxes, settling the boys in their stroller, and stepping into the green flames. The floo ride was longer due to distance, but not bad. Twenty minutes after leaving Kenya, she arrived in the floo office at the Ministry of Magic. Ginny, baby James, and Harry were waiting for her and the first thing she heard was Ginny's squeal. They hugged tightly before Harry stepped forward to embrace Luna. Then the three boys began to be passed around. They continued like that for several minutes when a Ministry official started making hints and indicating that they should take the celebration elsewhere. Harry took the cue and levitated all of Luna's bags and boxes as she followed the Potters out of the Ministry and breathed the crisp English air, glad to be home.


	4. Lunch at the Burrow

Chapter 4 – Lunch at the Burrow

"Ginny! Do you have an extra boy? I'm missing one."

"Umm…yep, got him Luna."

Luna sighed and grabbed Lorry as she headed downstairs to claim Sander. She had turned her back for two minutes to fix her hair while the boys were playing, and in that time she had misplaced a son. She arrived downstairs and found Sander sitting on the floor making faces at baby James, who was in his seat. Since she had returned from Kenya five weeks previous and come to live with the Potters, both of her sons had taken a liking to baby James. At six months, he was thirteen months younger than her boys and not very mobile, but they delighted in doing anything to make him laugh. Luna set Lorry down and proceeded to wrestle shoes onto her other son. Ginny came in as Lorry was busy trying to take off the shoes his mother had put on minutes before. Luna put one hand over to stop him and then resumed working on his brother. Ginny laughed at the scene.

"Luna, I adore your boys, but I am so glad I only had one. I don't know how you do it."

Luna shrugged as she finished with Sander's shoes and stood up. Picking up Lorry, she bent to grab his brother and realized that she soon wasn't going to be able to balance one on each hip at the rate they were growing.

"Here Luna, I'll take Sander. We can each hold a boy."

"Thanks Harry."

The three adults settled with a boy a piece, grabbed diaper bags, a casserole, and a tin of tarts. Looking around, Ginny checked off her mental list.

"Alright, I think we're ready."

The three adults turned on the spot and apparated out of the Potters' home and landed in the garden of the Burrow. The place was already raucous as a four year old blond tornado tore past with a blur of turquoise hair not far behind. Harry, Ginny, and Luna made their way inside and Molly Weasley greeted them.

"Hello dears! Luna, I'm glad you were able to make it this time. Oh my, look at your two, aren't they darling!"

Molly hugged Luna and managed to take Lorry from her in one swift move.

"So Luna, who am I holding?"

"That's Lorcan. He answers to Lorry. Harry has Lysander, but you can call him Sander."

Molly was busy nuzzling Lorry while she reached over to hug Ginny and Harry and nuzzle the babies they carried as well. At that moment, a couple of pops could be heard outside. Ginny went to the window to check who was arriving.

"So mum, Percy, Audrey, and little Molly just arrived. I saw Teddy, so Andi must be somewhere. And Victoire ran by as well, so where are Bill and Fleur? Who else is coming?"

"Yes, Andi is here. She and Arthur were talking about some muggle device your father recently acquired and it sounded like something Ted once had, so they went to his workshop to check. Bill came by and dropped Victoire and then went back to help Fleur with Dominique. They should be back anytime. George and the kids should be coming as well. Hermione and Ron should also be along. Now, as much as I'm loving this little one of Luna's, he's starting to squirm. Why don't you take them to the garden? Molly's only a little older than Luna's boys so they can all play."

Luna took Lorry from Molly and followed Harry and Ginny to the garden. They were just setting the boys down when Percy and Audrey joined them. Little Molly immediately ran to her aunt and, after a round of hugs, focused on the two boys that were close to her size. Audrey put a pie in the kitchen and came out to join Percy and be introduced to Luna. Then Arthur and Andi emerged from his workshop. Bill and Fleur arrived a couple of minutes later with newborn baby Dominique. Everyone was happy to see Luna and meet her boys and soon any feeling she had of intruding on the family was gone. Victoire and Teddy were taking turns on the swing hanging from the old oak tree, while the three toddlers played with toys on a blanket and the two smallest babies were passed among welcome arms. Ginny went to help her mum, while everyone found seats where they could talk and still watch their children. A few minutes later, Ron and Hermione popped in and Hermione made a dash at Luna.

"Luna! I'm glad to see you. Mercy it's been too long."

"Yes it has, but I'm back home now and I don't think I'll want to leave England for a while."

Hermione hugged Luna and looked around. Her eyes found the twins and she lit up. Luna went over and introduced her and Ron to the boys, who were too busy playing to care about social introductions. With the children distracted, the three of them went and found seats among the adults as Ron took Dominique from Fleur and began to rock his niece. A half hour later, George popped in with a child in each arm. He put Fred down, who immediately ran toward Molly and the twins. Pausing for a minute, he looked at the two boys a bit puzzled. Then he looked up and saw Luna. Walking over to the table, he passed Roxy to her grandfather as he greeted everyone. When he reached Luna, he seemed a bit shocked.

"Hello Luna. It's been a long time. I assume those cute buttons over there are yours?"

"Hi George, yes those are my boys. On the left is Lysander and on the right is Lorcan. I know yours by reputation. Ginny has kept me updated on her family. Roxanne is quite beautiful. I can see your father is in love."

George snorted.

"Yes, that little girl already has every man in the family and all the wizards in my shop wrapped around her fingers. I'm thinking I should start building a tower to lock her in around thirteen. It's good to see you Luna. We were all distressed when we heard about Rolf. How are you doing?"

"Depends on the day, as you know. It's good to be home in England."

George nodded as Molly and Ginny emerged from the kitchen and announced lunch was ready. Plates of food began to float out from the kitchen and parents started filling plates for their children. Luna prepared plates for the twins with everything in bite sized pieces. She set the plates on the blanket where they were playing and moved the toys aside. Audrey and George did similar for Molly and Fred as the four toddlers attacked their food. Teddy and Victoire were settled on booster seats at the main table and the smaller babies remained on laps as everyone settled and began to partake of another excellent Weasley family lunch.

Luna was seated next to George and they spent most of the meal alternating discussions around his shop and her work and recent publication. It was more than the two of them had ever spoken before and both of them found themselves enjoying the conversation. Others joined them as well and many were fascinated by the work Luna had completed in Kenya. As the main meal finished, Roxy arrived in Luna's lap and she happily hugged the small girl. Running her fingers through her soft baby curls, Luna turned to George.

"So, how old is Roxy?"

"Eight months now. And Fred is two and a half. And I've been divorced a year. Hard to believe."

"Yes, I was quite shocked when Ginny told me about Angie. I'm sorry George, but it looks like you're a good father. The kids are lucky to have you."

"Well, I try. I have a good example. I never imagined I'd be doing it on my own. The first month after Angie dropped off Roxy I was really lost, but it's hard when you have kids that need you to let yourself wallow."

Luna nodded and smiled at George. A recognition passed between them that did not require words. The conversation then changed to less personal topics as Arthur and Hermione began to discuss updates from the Ministry. After everyone had a chance to let their food settle, Molly summoned dessert to the table and conversation dwindled as everyone's focus shifted back to food. When dessert was almost finished, Hermione picked up her glass and lightly tapped it to get everyone's attention. Once all eyes were on her, she took Ron's hand and smiled at her family and friends.

"Everyone, we have an announcement. Molly and Arthur, you're going to be grandparents again!"

The table erupted in cheers and congratulations. Molly and Ginny went to hug Hermione as Molly summoned a box of tissues.

"Oh Hermione dear! That's amazing news. I know you've been waiting for the right time with your career, so I haven't said anything, but I've been waiting...and oh, thank you!"

"So Hermione, how far along are you?"

"Six weeks tomorrow. And I can't believe the changes that are already happening with my body. I've picked up several books, but you'll all be getting questions from me in the next months. I'm not sure what's normal."

"Well dear, normal is relative. Anyway, you have plenty of experienced women in the family, so feel free to ask whenever."

As the excitement died down, everyone talked for a while longer before the luncheon started to break up. Percy and Audrey left first, followed by Bill and Fleur with a squalling baby who needed a nap. With Victoire gone, Teddy had no one to play with and Andi left next. George, Harry, Ginny, and Luna started to pack up all their children who were also in need of naps. As George prepared to depart, he turned to Luna.

"If you're in Diagon Alley, please stop by the shop. I'd like to show you some of the items we've been discussing."

"That sounds good George. I'll try to make it soon. I move into my new flat next week, but maybe after I get settled."

George smiled and said goodbye to the rest of his family before apparating away. Ginny, Harry, and Luna were the next to leave as they gathered the three boys. Molly and Arthur hugged them all as they prepared to go.

"Thank you for coming Luna. You're welcome anytime. If you need anything, just let us know."

With a final wave, the Potters and Scamanders apparated away from the Burrow after a pleasant day spent with family and friends. That evening, as Luna sat reading in the guest bedroom of the Potter home, her thoughts drifted to George. He was really quite different than the brash, carefree young man she remembered. Of course, she was much different as well. She tried to refocus on her book, but bits of their conversation and flashes of his easy smile refused to leave her alone. Frustrated with herself and wondering what her problem was, Luna finally gave up and decided to call it a night.


	5. Bruises and Pizza

Chapter 5 – Bruises and Pizza

The week after lunch at the Burrow, Luna moved into her new flat. She had enjoyed her time with Harry, Ginny, and James, but knew it was time to get back on her own feet. She had enough money between her and Rolf's inheritances to take care of her and the boys without needing to work, but she was still careful in selecting an affordable flat in a magical building located near the Ministry. The flat was two bedrooms with a single, good sized bath, an above average living area, and a general floo usage fireplace. The previous tenants had caused a fair bit of damage to the place, but the landlord had repaired it and assured Luna that he had removed any latent spell traces. Harry had a day off work and stayed home with all three boys while Luna and Ginny moved her few belongings to the flat and then went shopping for furniture, of which Luna had none. By Friday night everything was settled and she picked up take-away and spent a pleasant evening home with her sons.

The week following Luna's move, she spent quite a bit of time exploring London, taking the boys to parks and the zoo. Ginny brought James along when she went to the zoo and the day was quite fun. Despite how much she was enjoying her time with the boys, Luna still found herself craving the intellectual stimulation she had in Kenya. With that in mind, she decided to send an owl message to Hermione. Upon graduating Hogwarts, Hermione had taken a position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Five years later, she was now the assistant director of the department and her lobbying had caused a recent name change, making it the Department for Magical Creature Relations. Luna made her letter to Hermione quite formal, listing her qualifications and publications and inquiring if a position would be available in the research division of the department. She sent it off with a small sense of trepidation and then continued on with her normal routine.

As part of her routine, Tuesdays were Luna's day for shopping and errands. She floo'd to Ginny's to drop the boys off as usual and Ginny gasped when she saw Luna.

"Luna! What in Merlin's name happened to you?"

"I had an argument with a door. The door won."

"What door and how did it manage to blacken both your eyes forehead?"

"The crazy moaning door that goes into my kitchen. It hasn't been swinging right and it came back at me last night. I tried some bruise potion, but it only helped some. George mentioned he has a bruise paste he developed, so I am going to stop by his shop and pick up some."

"Alright, that sounds good. George's bruise paste is quite good. I actually used to have some, but Harry used the last of it after his last mission. I should probably pick up some more. I think too that you need to get your landlord to look at that door."

Luna nodded and then kissed the boys goodbye before leaving Ginny's and heading for Diagon Alley. She wore a pair of sunglasses to disguise the worst of the bruises, despite the overcast day. She made a couple of quick stops and then proceeded on to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Wares. When she stepped into the busy shop, she took a minute to look around and marvel at the place. Then she spotted a familiar ginger head above the crowds as George waved to her. She made her way over to him and he looked concerned.

"Hi Luna, what's with the sunglasses? I keep the Belgian Brightness Powder locked up since one of my customers set some off and everyone thought the building was on fire."

"Actually George, I had a bit of an accident, which is why I'm here."

Luna removed the glasses and George gasped, then an angry look grew on his face.

"Luna, who did this? Tell me and we'll sort him out."

"No one George. I'm not ready to even think about being with anyone again. I just have a badly behaved door in my new flat."

"Alright, I understand. Here, let's step over to the Wares side of the shop. I think you need to have that door looked at."

Luna followed George through a large archway to an adjacent, second shop next to the original Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The second shop was more subdued in coloring and decoration, but no less astounding in the products that were displayed.

"So this is the second part of your shop you were talking about at lunch. Very impressive."

"Yes, this is Weasley's Wizard Wares. Fred and I had a couple of products in our initial development that weren't really joke items, but we still included them in Wheezes. Since then I've developed a number of additional items with Ron's help and we decided to split out the two product lines. Here is where we'll find the bruise paste."

George walked over to a first aid display and grabbed a tube of the paste before turning back to Luna.

"Do you want to wait until you get home, or would you like to apply some now?"

"I think I should get some on now. The sooner the better."

George nodded and summoned a mirror from the other end of the store. Luna began to apply the paste and hissed as it burned and made her eyes water.

"Sorry about that Luna. I've tried a number of variations and I can't make it burn any less and still have it work as well. Here, do you want help?"

Luna nodded and accepted his offer since her watering eyes made it hard to see to apply the thick goo. George gently reached over and finished dabbing it on. She tried to keep quiet, but couldn't help wincing. Once it was done, George let out an explosive sigh.

"There, I think you're done. Sorry, I hated hurting you, but at least it's already working. Here, let me get you a tissue."

Luna dabbed her eyes and checked the mirror, surprised to find that the bruises were already fading.

"Wow George, this stuff does work fast. I guess it was worth the burning. This is much better than the old bruise potion."

"Aye. I ship a couple of cartons to St. Mungo's each month. It's one of my best selling items. Now, what is up with the door that did this?"

"It's the door into the kitchen of my new flat. I've scanned it and it seems clear, but I think there's some latent spell damage on it. My landlord said the couple who had the place before me used to have some mighty rows and let loose with all kinds of curses. He supposedly cleansed the place, but I think he missed something. It's a swing door and every time I push it, it makes this horrible moaning noise. Then last night, I was up late and went to push through it like normal and it stuck, then let loose, and swung back at me hard."

"Hmm, definitely sounds like your landlord missed something. I actually have a product that might help. Unfortunately, I'm sold out, but I do have a shipment coming in two days."

"Sure George, whatever you think will help. The landlord has done what he can and he's started to ignore my complaints."

"Okay, I'll let you know when the shipment comes in."

Luna thanked George, paid for the bruise paste and left to continue her errands. After she finished with groceries, she headed back to the flat to store everything and then floo'd to Ginny's to pick up the boys. Ginny was happy to see by that point that the bruises were mostly gone, and was also happy that George may have a solution for the angry door. That evening, as she laid in bed, Luna thought back on the day and couldn't help but think about how kind George had been. And his shop was truly amazing. With all his pranks during school, she had never realized how smart he really was.

The following day Luna received an enthusiastic reply from Hermione regarding her request for a research position. The note also asked that Luna come in to interview with the head of research the following day at 10 am. Luna floo called Ginny to see if she could look after the boys.

"Actually Luna, I'd love to, but Harry has the day off tomorrow and he's taking me out. He hasn't told me where. Mum is taking care of James for the day. Why don't you ask mum if she'd look after the boys? It shouldn't take you long."

"I don't know Ginny, I don't want to impose on your mum."

Ginny snorted.

"Really? Mum loves having the grandkids around and would love a couple more. She handled George and Fred, yours won't be a problem. Just give her a call."

Luna nodded and wished Ginny a good day out with Harry, then she ended the floo call before initiating a new call to the Burrow. Molly enthusiastically agreed to take the boys for a couple of hours. With the plans set, Luna penned a reply back to Hermione's department, accepting the interview offer.

The following day, Luna floo'd to the Burrow at 9:30 with the boys. Molly was waiting and immediately took hold of both the boys, squeezing them as she sent them on to the living room. Little Molly, James, Fred, and Roxy were already there and Molly assured Luna that everything would be fine and not to rush. Luna hugged her and then apparated to the entrance of the Ministry.

Promptly at ten, Luna presented herself to Evan Grey, head of the research department. They spent nearly an hour in animated discussion on magical fauna. He had read her recent publication on the history and research with the emela-ntouka and was delighted with her translation capabilities. He had also heard of Rolf's death and extended his condolences. As they wrapped the conversation, he made her an offer for part time research work. They worked on the details, and when she left, Luna was officially a Ministry researcher for magical creatures, working three days a week and starting the following week. She was overjoyed with the opportunity and with the income it would provide. Although she had the inheritances, the money from her part time work would cover a large portion of her monthly expenses. Working three days a week would also allow her time with the boys, while maintaining the intellectual stimulation she needed. As she pondered finding a daycare, she apparated back to the Burrow to pick up the boys. Molly was waiting and wanted to hear all about the interview, insisting that Luna stay for lunch. The boys were quite content and she was happy to agree to lunch. She helped Molly settle all the kids with food and then the two women sat down to talk.

"So, how did the interview go? I'm guessing they were suitably impressed with your experience?"

"It went well Molly. I was surprised that my recent publication has actually been read by several people in the department. I had a very nice discussion and accepted an offer for three days of work a week. Due to other schedules in the department, I've chosen Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's the perfect solution, allows me to work and still spend time with the boys."

"Well, congratulations! That does sound perfect. So, what about the boys? Where are they going while you work? And when do you start?"

"I start next week, which is actually only five days, so I need to get busy finding a daycare."

"What? A daycare? Nonsense. I'll take care of them."

"Molly, that's very generous, but you've got your hands full with your grandkids."

"Well, only three of my grandkids are here regularly and I've certainly handled more than them. Really, I would feel better with your boys here than with some strangers."

"Alright, if you insist, but I will pay you. No discussion on that. I really do appreciate it."

Molly made a face, but agreed to let Luna pay her. They talked for a couple more minutes before cleaning up from lunch. Luna hugged Molly goodbye and then took her sons home to nap. That night, Ginny floo'd over after her mum had told her Luna had news. They drank tea while Luna told her about the job and the fact that Molly was going to take the boys. Ginny was ecstatic and they talked for a bit longer about her wonderful day in Brighton with Harry.

The following day Luna spent a quiet day with the boys at a park. After lunch, they returned home and she had just settled them down for naps when the floo alarm indicated a call was coming in. Returning to the living room, she accepted the call and George's face appeared in the fire.

"Hi Luna. I received that shipment I mentioned. The powder I think will work is actually new and I'd like to try it out myself on your door. The shop closes at five and I pick up the kids at mum's after that. Tonight is our usual pizza night and I was wondering if I could bring the kids and pizza to your place so that we could try to fix the door? Do your boys like pizza?"

"Sounds like a plan George. I don't think the boys have ever had pizza, but I'm sure they'll like it. I haven't found anything they won't eat yet."

"Great, we'll be over around 5:30 then?"

Luna agreed and George left the floo. She looked around the flat and pulled her wand to begin tidying up. With that done, she decided to do a bit of reading until the boys got up. At a couple of minutes after 5:30, the floo alarm rang and she unlocked it to allow George in. He stepped through with Fred holding onto his pants while he held Roxy and a box of pizza. Fred immediately let go of him and ran to where the boys were playing. Luna took the pizza from George while he set Roxy down.

"Hi Luna, since the boys are playing, how about we take a look at the door first?"

Luna agreed and showed George down the short hallway to the kitchen. She gently pushed on the door and it made its usual moaning noise before swinging back at her hard. George made a face and nodded. He pulled his wand and ran a quick sensing over the door as he turned back to Luna.

"Alright, that is definitely not normal. I don't sense anything, but sometimes minimal residues from spell damage won't be detected. I've actually seen this a couple of times and that's why I developed the spell absorption powder. I wanted something that could be used on items without causing damage. I originally designed a gel, but I found a way to compress it down to a powder. That way it can be cleaned out easily after. What I need to is get the powder wherever the latent damage is and then activate it. We should know fairly quickly if it works."

Luna nodded as George opened the small bag he had brought. He put some of the powder in his hand before lightly blowing it onto each of the door's hinges, as well as the door itself. He then cast a quick shield around them before casting the activation spell. The door briefly shuddered, then it swung back and forth before a small flash of light centered on one hinge and fizzled out. When it looked like it was done, George lowered the shield and pushed the door carefully. For the first time since Luna had moved in, the door was quiet. George gave it a couple of good swings and it seemed to behave normally.

"Excellent! Well Luna, it looks like it worked."

"Thanks George. That really is amazing. So, how much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. I barely used any of the powder and this was actually a final test before I put this out for general sale. I've sold some to the Ministry, but I've been waiting for a final test before I release it to the public."

Luna thanked him again as they made their way back to the living room and the small attached dining area of the flat. The boys were playing and Roxy had crawled over to join them. They all looked content as George took the pizza and began to set up dinner. A few minutes later Luna and George had all four children happily munching when they started on their first slices. Luna watched her boys and they were eating with gusto.

"Well Luna, I'd say they like pizza."

"Indeed. Not that I'm surprised."

Dinner stretched on longer than usual as Luna enjoyed talking with George about a variety of topics. He congratulated her on her new job and was thrilled when he found out his mum had agreed to look after the boys. They would have kept talking for much longer, but the children all started to get fussy and George declared it was time to take his home. Gathering Fred and Roxy, he stepped to the floo and turned around to say goodbye to Luna. They were mere inches apart and for a moment he seemed to pause, but then stepped back and wished her a good night before stepping into the floo.

Later that night, as Luna prepared for bed, she thought back on the evening. She'd had a good time with George and enjoyed a chance for adult conversation. When he had stood by the floo, she almost thought for a moment that he was about to kiss her. What if he had? What would she have done? She wasn't sure.


	6. A First Date

Chapter 6 – A First Date

The following Monday, Luna floo'd to the Burrow shortly before eight in the morning and dropped the boys off. She talked to Molly briefly, although the woman who had raised six sons really didn't need any instructions. She did listen and nod reassuringly as Luna detailed everything she thought Molly needed to know. Then Molly gently nudged her out the door and Luna apparated to the Ministry.

Luna reported to Evan when she arrived, who took her around for introductions and a brief tour. When they reached Hermione's office, everyone was surprised when the assistant director came out of her office to greet the new research assistant. Luna then spent the rest of the day familiarizing herself with the department archives and organizing her thoughts of how she wanted to start. The department essentially had a large, partially catalogued stack of files, documents, testimonials, and memory reports that had been roughly compiled and needed to be systematically reviewed, organized, and verified. It would be the work of several lifetimes, but by Tuesday Luna had decided to start with files from two hundred years previous to the present. From there, she organized the information by continent and country with a cross reference to creature type. With this system in place, a researcher could implement the finding spell she put in place and search for all reptiloids, all reptiloids within Asia, or all creatures within Asia or China. By the end of Thursday, after three days on the job, Evan stopped by and was quite pleased with the progress and her system. Luna enjoyed the work and found many of the records fascinating, although she still appreciated her days with her boys. When she would pick them up from the Burrow, Molly was always in good spirits and had fallen completely in love with the boys. When she arrived to pick them up on Thursday, she found that Arthur had arrived home early and was sitting on the floor building elaborate, magically reinforced block towers with Fred, Lorry, and Sander.

On Thursday evening, Luna had just gotten the boys to sleep when the floo alarm sounded. Going to check, she found George's head in the fireplace, smiling at her.

"Good evening Luna. How did your first week go?"

"It went well. There's enough work for a lifetime, but it's fascinating."

"Excellent. I was calling to check on what your schedule is for the weekend? There's a muggle carnival I'm taking Fred to. Ginny is watching Roxy, as she's a bit young to appreciate it. I thought your boys might enjoy it, if you want to join us? Saturday at ten?"

"Hmm, that sounds interesting George. I think the boys would like that. So, ten on Saturday, where should we meet you?"

"How about I pop over to your flat and then apparate us to neighborhood? I've checked it out and there's an alley that's perfect."

"Alright, I'll see you then. Thanks George."

George's head left the fireplace and Luna turned back to finish her nightly cleanup of the flat. It was really kind of George to think about the boys.

Saturday arrived and Luna had the boys ready when George and Fred arrived. They all dressed fully muggle and George looked the part in a pair of tight jeans and a blue button down with a leather jacket. He had grown a light beard and Luna found herself admiring, then she shook herself and wondered what was wrong with her. They were friends, and anyway, Rolf had only been gone not quite a year. George seemed excited for the day and grinned broadly at her. Luna would have been surprised to know that the smile was partly due to how nice she looked in her shocking pink leggings with pink and orange floral blouse. The look would have been garish on anyone else, but it fit Luna well. After taking a moment to admire, George apparated them across the city and they headed out to enjoy the carnival.

The three boys were thrilled at the sights, sounds and smells that assailed them as they made a loop around the carnival, deciding where to start first. When all three of them squealed at one ride, George and Luna laughed. The ride the boys were enthralled by was a circular rotation of six cartoonish dragons. Both of them tried not to laugh as they thought about how far from reality the dragons were. George bought tickets, waving Luna off, and they loaded the three boys together into one of the dragon cars. The ride was a toddler level ride and didn't do much more than go in a circle and move up and down about three feet, but the boys screamed in delight until the ride stopped. Then they screamed when they had to get off. They were only pacified when they moved onto a carousel and Luna and George climbed on to ride with them. After a few more rides, they played a couple of games and George was pleasantly surprised to find that Luna had excellent aim. He gave a couple of tries, but Luna was the one to win three small stuffed monkeys for each of the boys.

With the games done, the boys were starting to get fussy and hungry and they decided on a round of hot dogs and chips. Luna insisted on paying, since George had paid for the rides, and they found a patch of grass to settle on while they ate. After the hot dogs, the boys were completely smeared in ketchup and Luna wished she could cast a cleaning spell, but resorted to muggle methods as both boys squirmed to get away from their mother and her wet napkin. George finished cleaning Fred and saw Lorry was trying to crawl away as Luna cleaned Sander. With a laugh, George grabbed the escaping boy in his free arm, while he held Fred in the other arm. Luna looked up and saw George, head down and blowing raspberries at two laughing boys, and her heart skipped a beat.

After lunch, they stopped to watch a clown who made balloon animals for each of the boys and then decided that the boys were ready for naps. As they made their way through the crowds to the alley to apparate, George noticed a preppy looking young man who was eyeing Luna with open appreciation. Something in George flared as he reached and took her by the elbow to guide her away. Luna was a bit puzzled as she looked over at George. Then she looked beyond him and saw the man staring at her. Something in her sixth sense bristled with fear and she decided that she was quite fine with accepting George's possessiveness. Eventually they reached the alley and apparated back to her flat. Once they landed, Luna turned to George.

"That was a lot of fun George. The boys and I had a great time."

"So did we Luna. Thanks for coming along. Um…I…Merlin, this is hard. It's been a while. Luna, I was wondering, I know you've been through a lot and I don't know if this is too soon, but I was wondering…would you let me take you to dinner one night? No kids."

Luna was a bit startled. Dinner? A date? Was it too soon? She liked George. The Hogwarts' prankster had turned out to be quite a gentleman and a good father. Still, she wasn't sure. What would Rolf think? Actually, she knew Rolf wouldn't want her pining. He and George would have gotten on well if they'd had a chance to meet. George waited patiently while all these thoughts flew around Luna's head before she made a decision.

"George, I think I'd like that. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's too soon, but I'd like to try dinner and see how it goes."

"Brilliant! I understand Luna. If you aren't ready, just let me know. So, how about next Friday, say around seven?"

"That sounds good. I'll ask Ginny to look after the boys."

"I'm sure she will, although you do know she will have a minor fit when she finds out I'm taking you to dinner."

Luna laughed. She was quite aware of what her best friend would think and expected that Ginny would want a full testimonial after the date. The next day, she floo'd to the Potters for lunch and casually brought up the subject.

"Gin, I have a favor to ask. Can you babysit the boys next Friday night?"

"Sure Luna. Nothing planned but a quiet night at home for us. What about you?"

"George is taking me out to dinner."

Ginny's fork stopped half way to her mouth as she smirked at her friend.

"Oh, really…"

"Quit looking at me like that Gin. I'm not even sure I should be going to dinner, but he has been so nice lately and we had so much fun at the carnival yesterday, I decided to at least see how a dinner goes."

"Carnival? You went with George to that carnival?"

"Yes, along with Fred, Sander and Lorry. He thought the boys would enjoy it and he was right."

"Alright, well you have your babysitter. And, honestly Luna, I'm happy you're giving this a chance. As much as I hate to admit it, my brother has grown up and become a thoughtful, decent guy."

Luna nodded and the topic of discussion thankfully changed. She was glad that Ginny was happy for her, but she was still unsure enough in her own feelings that she didn't want to focus on the topic for long.

The following week went quickly for Luna. Her research at the Ministry was going well. Now that she had a system in place, she was able to get down to the real research, analyzing documents, translating, or repairing as needed, then indexing and filing them. She found herself learning small bits of information as she went and began to keep several journals with research data on specific mythological beasts. Evan and the others in the department were thrilled with her work and she had the added benefit of her growing work friendships to add to the intellectual stimulation that the job provided. Friday arrived and she got took a good while to get dressed before taking the boys to Ginny's. When she arrived, George was there dropping off Fred and Roxy. Seeing Luna, he let out a small chuckle.

"Well, I was going to be a gentleman and come pick you up, but it seems we share a babysitter."

Luna laughed a bit as Ginny reached to take the boys' bag from her. All the children were settled in the living room as Luna tried to give Ginny last minute instructions. Ginny just shook her head and gave her a look that reminded Luna distinctly of Molly.

"Luna, really? How often have I looked after them? I got this. Or, well, Harry and I have this. He looks happy."

Luna and George both looked over and saw Harry laying on his back with five children three and under crawling all over him. Both of them laughed and wished Ginny a good night as George offered Luna his arm and apparated them to muggle London. They landed in an alleyway and George led them around the front of a brightly lit Indian restaurant.

"I hope you like Indian food Luna. I know you said you liked spicy and you liked different, so I took a risk."

"Sounds wonderful George."

They entered the restaurant and were seated at a table near the back that George asked for. Once the server left them, George pulled his wand under the table and cast a quick privacy charm that would silence their conversation in the immediate area. With that done, they were free to talk in between ordering a number of small dishes of various types. George talked to Luna about the steps that went into his product development and the items that he was currently testing. Luna in turn talked about the research work she was doing at the Ministry and trying to find a way to organize and classify hundreds of years' worth of documentation. As the food dwindled, the topic of conversation switched from the safe subject of work to more personal matters.

"George, do you mind me asking, what happened with Angie? Where is she now?"

"No, I don't mind. It's a valid question. As far as I know, she is now playing Quidditch in the States. As for what happened, it's hard to explain. You know she and Fred dated off and on back in school. Fred was actually quite mad about her, but even then Angie wasn't a woman to be nailed down. She couldn't commit to one person and Fred was the jealous type. After the war, we were both grieving and fell together. I knew she was looking for me to be a replacement for Fred to help her through her guilt about what happened between them. A couple of times I tried to pull away, but she always pulled me back. We had some good times, but we had a lot of hard times. She played Quidditch for the first couple of years we were together and I can honestly say neither of us was completely faithful when she was traveling. We had some monumental rows, but then we would get back together and all would be wonderful for a little while. During one of our better times, we went off and eloped in Greece. My family had been dubious about the relationship and wasn't happy, but then Fred came along and they really did their best to welcome Angie. Fred was a complete surprise. She never wanted kids and he derailed her Quidditch career. Angie had a messed up childhood. She never told me everything, but what she did tell me was mostly when she was drunk and it was all bad. She never had a good example of family and had no idea how to build one of her own. Once Fred was about six months old, she basically gave up and I was essentially a single father. She was openly dating a couple of other guys and we barely saw her. The divorce didn't happen for almost a year after, but it was just a formality."

"Wow George, I'm sorry. I thought I had it hard, but at least I didn't have to slowly lose Rolf. It was hard and sudden, but then it was done."

George shrugged. "So, tell me about Rolf. I know a bit by reputation, but who was he really? He must have been special to capture you."

Luna drifted for a minute, as she remembered back to the day she had met Rolf. George smiled at the peaceful, happy look that came over her face as she contemplated where to begin.

"Rolf and I met in Sweden on Newt's last organized research trip. I was just an intern and he was his grandfather's second in command, leading the different research sites. I met him my second night in camp and the attraction was immediate. He was big and masculine, but also brilliant and sensitive with his friends. The boys take after him, which means I'll have a hard time keeping them in school robes. Rolf was well over two meters. The boys also got his coloring. When Rolf stood in the sun his hair almost appeared white. While his looks caught my attention at first, his intellect was truly stunning. He went to school in the States, but if he had gone to Hogwarts, I know he would have been Ravenclaw. We were a match from the very first. Everyone at the research camp knew it and most weren't surprised when we had a quick wedding two months after we met. It didn't seem too fast, we just knew we were meant for each other. Now that I lost him so soon, I'm glad we didn't waste time."

George reached across the table and laid his hand, palm up, offering, but not taking. Luna looked at his hand for a moment before deciding to accept the offer as she placed her hand in his.

"We've both been through a lot Luna. I wish life could have been easier for both of us, but I'm glad I get a chance to know you better."

As they talked, the music in the restaurant picked up and several traditional Indian dancers made their way to a small stage set up against one wall of the restaurant. Soon George and Luna were clapping along with the rest of diners and thoroughly enjoying the show. A couple of the dancers left the stage and started to circulate among the tables, picking customers to dance with. Soon they reached George and Luna's table and the two of them were up and dancing along for several minutes. When the dancers moved on to another table, they kept dancing through the end of the song before collapsing back in their chairs. After a couple more songs, George paid for the check and escorted Luna out of the restaurant. By silent agreement, they started walking and Luna found her arm linked in George's. When she realized, she was a bit surprised, but decided she didn't mind.

"I had a great time tonight Luna. I haven't had that much fun in quite a while."

"So did I George. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about going out with you, but this was fun."

"So, do you think you'd like to go out again? Are you ready? I really like you, but I don't want to push."

Luna sighed. "I understand, but it has been almost a year. I didn't think I'd ever be ready, but I suppose since we already knew each other it makes it easier. I'd enjoy seeing you again."

George smiled and they continued walking for a bit, before looking around and realizing that they had reached a questionable neighborhood and it was getting late.

"I guess we should get back and pick up our kids. Thanks for a great night Luna."

"Thank you George."

"Before we go, can I kiss you?"

Luna nodded and leaned up toward him as George planted a chaste, but firm kiss on her mouth. Luna responded and the kiss deepened for several seconds. Both felt a sudden shift in the air and stepped back with a bit of shock as they smiled at each other. Then they looked around, saw no one nearby, and apparated back to the Potters. Ginny was waiting and looked at them both slyly.

"So, good date?"

George chuckled. "Yes little sister, we had a nice dinner. How were the kids?"

"Oh, they're fine. All sleeping now. I will say that I don't think I want five of my own."

Luna laughed and followed her friend to the guest room where the boys were sleeping. She carefully tucked them into their stroller while trying not to wake them. As she left, she hugged Ginny and Harry goodbye and gave them her thanks. Then she looked at George and thanked him again for dinner. It had been a good first date.


	7. Four Months Later

Chapter 7 – Four months later

It was the end of a busy Friday as George hurriedly finished closing his shop. Verity was helping and laughed at her boss as he impatiently finished the last duties of the day. She knew his mind was elsewhere and shook her head quietly to herself. She had been working at Wheezes since before the war and had seen George in every kind of mood and mental state, but the change in her boss in recent months made her smile. He had kept his relationship with Luna a secret for a month before she had cornered him one day to ask who 'she' was. George spent a whole two minutes trying to downplay her assumption before admitting that he was seeing someone. She didn't know what his issue was, certainly if anyone deserved to be happy it was George Weasley. They had grown to be good friends and more than just colleagues. Angie had even been jealous of her at one point, but then Verity and married Jay and showed that her attentions lay elsewhere. She was happy now that her friend and boss was finally finding some happiness of his own and his agitation on this Friday was simply because he didn't want to be late for his date with Luna.

Once the shop was closed down, George apparated back to his flat and changed from store robes into grey trousers with an electric blue silk shirt and grey blazer. The clothes were custom tailored to his frame and the look was understated but refined. The blue shirt popped and showed his eyes. Luna loved him in bright colors and her influence was gradually pulling him away from the monochromatic tones he had favored in his personal life. Fred had always been the colorful one, and George had agreed on it for the shop colors, but personally he found it easier to dress neutral. In the months he had been dating Luna she had gradually been swaying his viewpoint. It was just one of several areas in his life where she was making an impact. Most of all, she was making him happier than he had been in years. They had been dating for four months now and initially saw each other once or twice a week. In the past couple of months they had hardly spent a day apart and most nights they met at his or Luna's flat for a joint family meal together. It just seemed to be easier that if one of them was cooking to just cook more and eat together. The arrangement had worked well and now the kids questioned the rare occasion when the families decided to not eat together. This night though was just one for the adults. Ginny was watching all the kids again and had agreed to pick up Fred and Roxy from the Burrow, where they spent the day as usual. The entire Weasley clan embraced his and Luna's relationship and his mum had been seeming especially hopeful as of late. Not that George minded. Luna made him happier than he had been since before the war and he now realized just how warped his relationship with Angie had been.

With a final pass of his comb, George surveyed himself in the mirror and decided that he looked suitable enough to accompany the beautiful Luna as he apparated from his flat to hers. Several months ago they had opened the wards on their flats to each other and it had made it easier to just be able to apparate between them. He arrived in the entry hall near the living room.

"Luna! I'm here."

As he was speaking, Luna appeared in the hall. She was looking strangely stunning as usual in a spangly bright purple dress that just barely caressed her thighs and showed her legs off nicely. She walked over to George and gave him a deep kiss.

"Mmhmm, hello George. Good day?"

"Not bad, better now."

Luna turned to collect her bag and then offered George her arm. He had secured tickets to the Faerie Dance, a magical dance show that was playing in a shielded building in North London. An apparition point had been set up for VIPs and George took them via side along, as instructed on their tickets. When they arrived, they were immediately presented with champagne and taken to the box seats that George had bought. They settled into their seats and cuddled while sipping champagne and talking about the news of the day. Luna felt herself relax against George's firm body. She couldn't believe that just fifteen months earlier she had been going through the worst despair of her life. George had completely turned her world around. Before they had met, she had been coping well enough, but in the past couple of months she felt like she was truly welcoming each new day. Soon the music started, indicating the show was about to begin and their conversation died down. The show was truly spectacular, using magic effects to enhance the dance and spells that allowed movements that normally wouldn't have been possible. All of it blended seamlessly to tell the story and Luna absolutely loved it. George knew it was something she had been wanting to see and had picked it for Luna's enjoyment, but surprisingly found that he was also enjoying himself. When the show was over, George turned to Luna to discuss where they wanted to eat.

"How about Chinese George? There's that place near my flat that we both like."

"Sounds good, except that place is take-away. I was thinking about taking you some place nice."

"We had box seats to the dance. That's more than enough. I'd like Chinese."

"Alright my lady, whatever you want. So, I guess we apparate back to your place and then walk down the block."

With the plans decided, they made their way back to Luna's flat and George went to pick up dinner. While he was gone, Luna cleared the table of sippy cups and crayons and replaced them with a tablecloth and candles. George was back shortly and they sat down to enjoy a simple meal together.

"You know, I think I almost like this better than going out. It's so quiet and peaceful."

George chuckled. "I agree. I adore the kids, but it's nice not to have someone whining or something spilling."

After they ate, George flicked his wand and did the cleanup while Luna turned on the wireless. Pushing the table aside, George took her in his arms as they proceeded to dance around the small flat. This was something they had done before with the kids, but they had never managed to dance with just themselves. As they swayed to the music, George leaned down and kissed Luna deeply. A flutter started low in her belly that became an ache she hadn't felt in a long while. She pressed herself closer to George and clutched at his chest as he pulled back briefly and looked at her. Smiling at him, Luna answered his unspoken question.

"Take me to bed George."

He smiled down and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom where he set her down and began to slowly unbutton her blouse as he trailed kisses along her jaw. She began to quickly undo his shirt as the fire burned and their desire flared. Before she knew it, George's deft fingers were unhooking her bra as his mouth descended to her breasts, causing her to gasp. As she ran her fingers across his broad chest, they were both consumed with need and hurriedly finished undressing each other. George took a step back and stared in awe before Luna began peppering his chest with small kisses. George pushed her back onto the bed gently and began to explore her body with his hands and mouth. He hadn't been with a woman in a long time, but forced himself to go slow. As he pushed her legs apart and dipped his head lower, Luna began to moan. He worked her slowly and gently, building her up to the edge before sliding a single finger into her, causing her to writhe and moan louder. When he went down and sucked her clit while inserting a second finger, she came undone. He continued to taste her while waiting for her climax and thighs to release the grip on his head. When she let him go, he crawled back up and smiled at her as she panted and caught her breath.

They began to kiss again and she reached for him as she guided his rock hard erection to her core. As he slipped into her wonderful heat, each moaned into the other's mouth and took a minute to remain still and joined. After savoring the moment, he looked down at her and began to build a steady rhythm, watching for her pleasure. As the minutes went by and their mutual rhythm joined, Luna threw her head back and came, screaming his name. A minute later, George joined her as he climaxed for what seemed like forever. As he continued to stroke her, she came again, clutching at his shoulders and declaring her love. When they each passed their peak, he rolled off and lay next to her, hand on her stomach and smiling. When a few tears leaked from her eyes, he pulled her close with concern.

"Luna love, what? Did I do something wrong?"

"No George. You were wonderful. I just never thought I'd have this again. It's been so hard."

George blinked back a few tears and hugged her tighter as he whispered his love in her ear. They stayed wrapped in the embrace for a long while. Eventually George brought them back to the present when he checked his watch and found that the time was quite late.

"Luna, I hate to say this, but we need to get dressed. Our babysitter is probably wondering where we are."

"I suppose. Although I'm sure Ginny will have figured us out."

They traded a couple more kisses before slowly disentangling themselves, casting cleaning charms and dressing. With one final kiss, they apparated to the Potters'. Ginny and Harry were curled up on the couch when they arrived. Ginny yawned and slowly got up.

"There you are. We were starting to wonder. Kids are all asleep. I put Roxy in our room because she was taking a while to settle and keeping the boys awake. Why don't you go get her George, and Luna and I will get the boys."

George nodded and turned to the master bedroom to collect his daughter while Luna followed Ginny down the hall. Before they reached the nursery, Ginny turned to her friend.

"So Luna, do I want to know why you're almost two hours later than planned?"

"I think you can guess Ginny."

Ginny chuckled. "Well good. About time for both of you. You know you could have just left them here tonight."

"Thanks Ginny, but you and Harry have done enough."

"We don't mind. Harry definitely doesn't. He loves the kids. I've told him he's getting two, maybe three, but if he had his way I'd give him a full Quidditch team."

Luna laughed and hugged her friend as they reached the nursery. Luna picked up her twins, just barely managing one on each side, while Ginny picked up Fred. Tiptoeing out of the room, they made their way back to the living room where George was waiting. He took Fred from Ginny and leaned in to give Luna a final kiss good night before apparating to his flat. Luna turned and said goodbye to her friends before also apparating herself home for the night.

Over the next month George and Luna kept up with their family dinners most days of the week, as well as dinner with the Weasleys at the Burrow or someone's house. Despite all the time they spent together, they didn't tire of each other. While they had each reawakened long dormant passions, they found it difficult to get time alone for more than a good snog. The one exception was an impromptu liaison in George's office during one lunch break, but that had been dangerous and they were almost caught. As it was, George was fairly certain that Verity had an idea of what had ended just before she knocked on her boss' door.

A large bonus in the relationship was the fact that the kids all got along well. Fred was three and a half, while the twins were just past two and Roxy was fourteen months. While the boys always enjoyed playing together, now that Roxy was more mobile she was inserting herself into their games more each day. As the weeks passed, both small families found themselves becoming more bonded while George and Luna learned that love came in different forms. Both had known the heedless passion of young love, but now they found themselves cherishing a love built at a slower, quieter pace. Both had been broken by different trials, but their new love was healing them.

Five and a half months into their relationship, a near catastrophe would throw them together even more. Luna woke one night to a caterwauling alarm in her building and was terrified when she smelled smoke. The noise had also awakened the boys and she went running to their room. Grabbing them both, she looked out the window and saw smoke billowing up from one of the lower floors. She hastily grabbed her purse and held the boys as she apparated out of her flat to the street below. Normally she wouldn't have risked it, since her building was on a muggle street. She was actually quite shocked since the building was supposed to have magical charms in place for fire suppression. She and the boys huddled outside for a half hour while the flames were extinguished, but she was informed that the building wasn't clear yet and it may take several hours before she could return. The boys were both fussy and tired as she turned down an alley to apparate to George's flat. It was shortly before one in the morning and the sound of her apparition pop woke him as he stumbled out of his bedroom with his wand in hand.

"Who's there?"

"George, it's Luna. I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go. There's been a fire in my building."

"Fire? Gods Luna, are you alright? Here, hand me Lorry."

"We're alright, but I don't know what kind of damage there is. There was a lot of smoke. I won't be able to go back in for a couple of hours. I'm sorry to wake you."

"Hush. I'm glad you came. Here, let's set up some cots for the boys in Fred's room."

Luna helped George get the boys settled on temporary cots. They were so tired that they were asleep almost immediately. As they left the room, the adrenaline rush finally wore off and Luna sunk to her knees with a small sob. George gathered her in his arms and carefully carried her to bed. Tucking her in, he wrapped himself around her until she finally fell asleep.

A few hours later, George and Luna were awakened by a knock on the bedroom door. Groaning, George slipped out of bed and went to open the door. Seeing it was Fred, he turned Luna.

"It's Fred. Should I let him in?"

"I suppose we shouldn't hide us. Not that he'd care."

George nodded and picked his son up to bring him into the room. As soon as he saw Luna, his face lit up and he began to squirm. Chuckling, George deposited him on the bed and Fred made his way over to cuddle up to Luna. She pulled the small boy close and kissed the top of his head. A minute later, she looked up to see George staring at them.

"Something wrong George?"

"Hmm? No, nothing wrong. It's just a beautiful sight with the two of you."

At that moment, more little feet could be heard running down the hall as Lorry and Sander barged into the open door. Laughing, George transferred them to the bed and then left to go retrieve the one missing little person. He returned a few seconds later with a sleepy Roxy and crawled into the bed with her while scooting the boys aside. The boys squirmed for a couple of minutes, then relaxed as they cuddled in between Luna and George. Luna was lying on her side and smiled at George as a single tear rolled down her cheek. George reached out and took her hand.

"Knut for your thoughts Luna love."

"I was just thinking. Fifteen months ago I felt like my world was ending. I never would have imagined this picture here. The both of us and four kids cuddled in bed together."

George just smiled and leaned over to give Luna a deep kiss. Roxy started clapping for them, causing both adults to start laughing. They stayed in bed for a while longer when Luna finally declared that she needed to go check on the flat. George sent a patronus to Verity at the shop to tell her he would be late while he stayed and watched the boys for Luna. Still dressed in her robe from the night before, Luna found her shoes and apparated back to the alley near her flat. The building was still surrounded by caution tape as she looked around for her landlord. Finally she found him across the street, talking to an official from the Ministry who had come in to help interface with the muggles. He saw Luna approaching and waved.

"Mrs. Scamander! There you are. Are you and the boys alright?"

"Yes Mr. Singh. We went to a friend's house for the night. Will I be able to get back in the flat today? The damage doesn't look too bad. What happened to the charms?"

"You may be able to get into the flat later today, but only temporary and with an escort. The fire took out several support posts in the basement. It will take a couple of weeks to make the building structurally sound again. The damage shouldn't be bad on your level, but we have to be cautious on how many people are allowed in at a time. I thought I had sufficient charms in place, but it seems that the northwest corner of the building wasn't covered sufficiently. I am sorry."

"Hmm, alright. So I need to find someplace else to stay for a couple of weeks? When can I get in to retrieve clothes and such?"

"Probably later this morning. The inspections are still underway. And we're having a hard time keeping the muggle officials away. The Ministry is here helping, but it's complicated right now."

Luna nodded and decided to leave the flustered man alone and return later. Making her way back to the alley, she apparated back to George's. When she arrived, he had the kids all sat at the table with cups of milk while he cooked porridge.

"So Luna, how is the building?"

"Not too bad. My flat should be fine. The main problem is structural support issues in the basement. I won't be able to move back in for a couple of weeks, although I can go in this afternoon and get clothes and supplies out for us. I think I'll floo call Ginny and ask if I can stay with them."

George seemed to think for a minute and then crossed the room and pulled Luna into the hall so that they could talk quietly.

"Actually Luna, I've been thinking about something for a while. After this morning I thought about it even more. Would you like to move in with me? This flat is large enough for all of us. I know it's a big step, but waking up with you this morning felt so right."

"Wow George, really? I think I'd like that. Of course, your parents may not agree."

"Well, they can bugger off. I love you Luna. I feel alive again. After the divorce, even with Roxy's arrival, I felt like I was just going through the motions most days. You've made me want to wake up each day."

George would have continued, but Luna started kissing him and he had his answer. They were standing in the door to the hall, visible from the kitchen where the kids were. Roxy saw them kissing and started clapping as she usually did. Then Fred joined her, followed by the twins. With all four kids clapping, George broke off the kiss and laughed.

"Looks like they're good with the decision as well."

With the decision made, they went to finish preparing breakfast. Since it was Wednesday, Luna had the day off. Once the kids were fed, Luna floo called Ginny to ask for her help. Ginny seemed surprised at the early call and Luna figured it would be easier to give the news in person. Ginny yawned and told her to come on through. With a last squeeze from George, Luna stepped through to the Potters.

"Morning Luna. What has you up this early?"

"Well, there was a fire in my building last night. Everything's fine, but I won't be able to move back in for a couple of weeks. After we evacuated, I went to George's. He and I talked and he decided he wants me to move in. I agreed and I was wondering if you could leave James with George and help me pack up this morning?"

"Whoa! Back that up three steps. Fire? Moving in? Really? Like permanent?"

"Yes Ginny. I know it seems quick but when I woke up this morning and then all the kids joined us in bed in just seemed so right. George agreed."

Harry entered the kitchen at that point and his eyes got huge as Ginny turned to her husband.

"Morning dear. So the top news of the morning is that Luna and the kids are moving in with George since her building caught on fire last night."

"I think I need more coffee." Harry gasped.

Both the women laughed.

"So, you'll help me Ginny?"

"Of course. Let me get James sorted and we'll come on through to George's and then go to your place. I can't wait until lunch on Sunday at mum's. She is going to pitch it."

Luna nodded and hugged her friend before heading back to George's flat. Ginny followed shortly after and left James with the other kids. Then the two witches apparated to Luna's flat and were some of the first allowed back in. It took most of the morning, but they packed up everything. All the furniture was shrunk and squeezed into one chest. Then they pushed everything through the floo to George's flat before Luna made her way back downstairs to talk to her landlord. Mr. Singh wasn't happy that he was losing a tenant, but given the circumstances, he cancelled Luna's lease. Shortly before lunch, she and Ginny were back at George's flat. Everyone ate lunch together before George had to leave for the shop and Ginny headed home with James. Luna was just settling in for the afternoon when the floo alarm rang. She went to check it and found Molly waiting in the fire.

"Luna? I was calling to check on George. He said he was taking the morning off and wouldn't be bringing the kids over. What's going on?"

"Um, there was a small emergency last night Molly. Everybody's fine and I'm watching the kids today. George and I will probably be over later."

Molly paused and seemed about to say something else, but then stopped and nodded. Luna wished her a good afternoon and quickly signed off the floo. She and George would need to talk later, but for now she would start settling in.


	8. Settling In

Chapter 8 – Settling In

Sunday morning dawned brightly as George rolled over to kiss Luna awake, only to find that she was staring at him. Smiling, he went ahead with the kiss and found that she was most definitely awake. As her hands started to roam over him, George moaned and pulled back with a slight chuckle.

"Wow Luna love, you're ready to go again? We've only had a few hours sleep."

"Sorry George, but you look so wonderful tousled in the morning and I've denied myself for so long, it's hard."

"Hmm, yes, speaking of hard…"

Luna was about to swat him for the bad pun, but suddenly she was being kissed so thoroughly that she no longer cared. She reached to the nightstand and grabbed a wand to reinstate the privacy charm as George's kisses worked their way down her neck as he rolled over and slowly entered her. Dropping the wand she thrust up to meet him as their tongues drowned out the loud moans that accompanied their joining. As their rhythm increased, Luna lost herself in the incredible sensation of being filled so completely. As her climax approached, she began to grind against George and urged him on faster. Soon she was gasping as she stifled her scream of pleasure. George kept his momentum for another couple of minutes, dragging her orgasm out longer before he finally joined her. As he collapsed in bliss, George looked up and smiled at her.

"Gods, bloody amazing way to wake up. I didn't think I'd have anything left this morning."

"You're wonderfully insatiable my lover."

"You're talking about me?" George chuckled.

"Well, yes. I guess I meet you at least half way. But I've always had a high sex drive. Once I had my first experience it was hard to go without. Although, after I lost Rolf, I wasn't sure if or when I'd find someone again. I never expected it to happen this quickly. Fifteen months ago my world crashed and now I've taken flight again."

"I know what you mean. I didn't think I could trust again after everything. We're both lucky we found each other. I can't believe I'd gone a year and a half without a woman."

"Tell me George, when was your first? I know you and Fred were popular in school."

"Well, yes. I was much different then. I played around a fair bit. I was fifteen my first time. She was seventeen, Ella, Oliver's older sister. She was Ravenclaw. Her and her friend Missie decided they wanted to deflower the Weasley twins. We were more than willing. I wish I could say it was something special, but not really. They were nice enough and we got together a couple of times, but with the age and house differences there was never much to our relationship besides the physical. Oliver blew a gasket when he found out. I don't know who he was angrier with. Of course, I had already moved on by time he found out."

"Um, I don't know if I want to know, but have you been with a lot of women?"

"Not a lot. Why?"

"I just know that I'm not that experienced. Not as much as you."

"Ah, so you're worried? Well, don't be. I am more than happy. More than. I guess to be honest, let me see…eight I think. Since the kids are sleeping in and we're being honest, how about you?"

"I guess that's fair. Well, I was sixteen. It was after we fled Malfoy Manor. Dean and I grew close while we were imprisoned. We gave ourselves to each other on the beach near Shell Cottage about a week later. We drifted apart after the battle. I was with three others after that, before Rolf."

"Well, that's understandable. After the hell you went through. Gods, I hate to even imagine."

"It's done now. I've moved on. I've been lucky to find love twice."

George smiled at her and soon they were kissing deeply, but before they became aroused again a small knock on the door pulled them apart. They quickly separated and found robes while casting quick cleaning spells. George opened the door and three little boys came piling in. Luna kneeled down for her morning hugs, reveling in the fact that Fred embraced her as heartily as Lorry and Sander. In the few months that she and George had been dating, the three boys had bonded and Fred was now almost as inseparable as the twins. With Luna and the boys occupied, George went to wake up Roxy. A half hour later, they were all in the kitchen as George flipped pancakes and Luna's wand whipped from side to side, cutting fruit and making it fly through the air as all the kids squealed. Over the commotion, George looked sideways and smiled at her.

"So, ready for the showdown today? Mum has known for at least four days that you moved in. She's had a good while to stew and think. Plus, with you taking Thursday off and watching the kids, I'm sure she's in a dither."

"I suppose I'm as ready as ever. I know she probably misses the kids, but I liked having those couple of days for us to settle in together."

"I agree. I just wanted to make sure you're ready. I'll be right there by your side."

"Of course. We're in this together. It's our lives. I love your mum and she's been fantastic with the boys, but we're adults. No pressure."

George snorted. "Well, we'll see how that goes."

Four hours later, George and Luna stood in the flat, looking around to make sure they had everything before they prepared to apparate. Four children…one diaper bag…two salads…check…check…check. With a child in each hand and bags over shoulders, they leaned in for a final kiss before turning and apparating to the garden of the Burrow. Landing smoothly, all three boys immediately pulled away and went to find their cousins. George set Roxy down and she began to toddle off until Hermione grabbed hold of her with a squeal. Laughing, George took the salads to deliver to the kitchen while Luna went over to Ron and Hermione. She was a bit hesitant as she approached her friends, unsure if they had received the news of her living situation, but the conversation instead stayed in the neutral territory around upcoming Quidditch matches. Then Ginny came over carrying James and gave Luna a pointed a look as she handed her son to Luna.

"So Luna, how are you settling in?"

"Fine Ginny. We're all quite happy. No issues yet."

Ron and Hermione both looked back and forth between Ginny and Luna. Smirking, Ginny nodded her head while Luna sighed.

"Fine, I guess now is as good a time as any to start spreading the news. I'm sure Molly is trying to nail George down right now. Earlier this week there was a fire in my building. Everything's fine, but I had to move out for a couple of weeks. George had been wanting to ask me if I wanted to move in with him, so he took advantage of the situation and now we're living together."

"What! You, George and all the kids together?"

Luna laughed. "Yes Ron, both of us and all the kids. It's not like we're going to parcel some of them off."

Hermione shook her head and looked over toward the kitchen.

"Well, this will be an interesting lunch. So, you haven't told Molly yet?"

"Not directly, but she knows and I took care of all the kids on Thursday and Friday. We were going to make a more official announcement today."

"Great. I love Weasley family lunches with major earth shattering, mum disturbing news. Always good for the digestion."

Everyone laughed, including James, who then squealed to be put down. George came out of the kitchen, looking remarkably intact, as he came over to Luna. He didn't say anything, but instead immediately started harassing Ron about the Cannon's chance of winning a second match in one season. Luna figured that whatever was due to come would wait until the whole family was together. That moment came about a half hour later. Once Bill, Fleur, Percy, Audrey and their kids all showed up, Molly rang her bell and the mad dash for the picnic tables began. Once children were cleaned and settled, the adults sat as well. Molly let everyone fill their plates before breaking the tension.

"Well, it's good to have most the family together. Except Charlie of course. I really wish he would find a job closer. So, anyone have any announcements?"

Molly was none too subtle as she stared directly at George and Luna. She wasn't smiling and Luna fought back the urge to melt into her seat. George gave her hand a squeeze and took the lead.

"Yes actually mum. Earlier this week there was a fire in Luna's building. Thankfully, no one was injured."

George paused and took a bite of his salad while Molly continued to glare. Luna was about to speak up when George continued.

"And, although there were no injuries, there was some structural damage to the building. Luna and the boys couldn't move back in, so I made an offer that I'd been planning on for a while. As you know, my three bedroom flat is really quite large, so I offered for Luna and the boys to move in. Thankfully she accepted and we're all settling in well."

Percy choked on some chicken while Bill just shook his head. Audrey seemed stunned, but Fleur hardly seemed to notice. Harry was trying to hide a smirk behind his napkin as all eyes at the table settled on George and Luna, whose fingers were laced together while they smiled at each other. George seemed to think that the announcement was done and continued eating, as did Luna. The table remained quiet for a minute while Molly just stared. Finally, she had enough.

"Really George? Luna, what do you have to say for yourself? You just moved in? With the kids? It's hardly proper. I mean, I know there are three bedrooms, but still people won't understand."

"Molly, what's to understand? George and I have been given a second chance at love? As for the bedrooms, Roxy's room is really more of a closet anyway. The boys all do fine together and then George and I have the master. It works quite well. Not that it's really anyone's business but our own."

"What? You're sleeping together? With the children at the flat?"

"Mum, that's what privacy charms are for. It's not like we just started sleeping together this week."

George's comment left his mother stunned, while several others at the table gasped and choked. Arthur was beet red and had his head down. Ginny looked like she was about to explode from holding it in. Eventually everyone, including Molly, started eating again. Percy broke the silence when he decided to switch the topic.

"So, um, dad, do you know anything about Wilbur in the games department? I heard he took a sudden leave."

Molly was not going to be put off so easily though.

"Well George, since you seemed to be determined on this, are you at least going to make this an honest relationship soon?"

"I'm sorry Molly, but what about this isn't honest? We're here discussing this openly with the family. We're not hiding anything."

George could see that Luna was getting upset and had had enough.

"You know mum, I understand you don't approve, but this is our decision. We're adults and we've both been through hard times. We've got a second chance and we're taking a shot at this. Now, if you can't accept that then I'll have to take that and we'll gather the kids and leave. We don't want to be somewhere we aren't wanted."

George set his fork down and took Luna's hand. As they made their way to stand up, everyone at the table looked even more shocked. Finally it was Arthur who had enough.

"George Gideon Weasley! Sit down and finish eating. You are our son and will always be welcome at this table. This is a bit of a surprise, but we will accept it. We all love Luna and her boys and I'm glad you're happy. You aren't the first of my children I've had a disagreement with. Molly, can we please let this rest?"

"Of course. I didn't mean for you to go running off. I just want what's best for you. I'll back off."

"And you won't mind having the kids, Fred, Roxy and Luna's boys here?"

"What? I should hex you for even asking that!"

George and his mother traded firm looks while Arthur reached over to grasp his wife's hand. With a final nod, they both continued eating and the subject seemed to be closed. The conversation gradually picked up and moved on to other topics. By the time the pies were brought out, the usual Weasley family luncheon atmosphere was almost back to normal. After dessert, the kids ran off to play for a while, but then the younger ones started to get fussy as small arguments ensued and their parents decided it was time to head home for naps. George and Luna gathered their four and made their way around for goodbyes. When they reached Molly and Arthur, all four kids got equal treatment and Molly assured them that she was happy for them. Luna thanked her, but thought that Molly's tight jaw showed that she wasn't completely resigned to the situation. Still, it was better than she had hoped for. She and George apparated back to the flat and spent a lazy Sunday afternoon lounging together while the kids napped. The initial confrontation was over and they decided to enjoy just being together.

Over the next couple of weeks, they gradually learned to live together and work through their differences. Luna worked her three days a week at the Ministry and Molly watched all the kids while she did. On her days off, she would usually have all four kids unless she had errands to run, giving Molly a break from having Fred and Roxy all week. In the evening, George made a point of spending time with all the kids and baths were his specialty. The shop was open half days on Saturdays, after which they made a point of spending time together as a family. Luna and George had both fallen in love with each other's kids, but in the first weeks living together, they each enjoyed learning their different quirks and personalities. There were squabbles and tears along the way, but in total they felt blessed that the kids seemed to get along well. Luna felt a bit for Roxy being the only girl, but she was the most stubborn of them all and none of the boys were able to push her around.

While the kids were learning to get along in the expanded family, moving in together also pushed George and Luna's relationship. Luna found adjusting to George's habits much different than Rolf, especially since Rolf often left for long periods of time. She found herself having to think and consider her partner more than she had to in the past. For George, Luna was so completely different than Angie that the whole situation seemed foreign. A lot of what Luna did was perplexing with her strange logic, but she was usually reasonable and willing to talk. George found the change refreshing as he remembered Angie's frequent explosions. Gradually each learned how to work with each other and found that compromising wasn't difficult in most cases.

As they approached the two month mark of living together, Luna looked at a calendar and realized that Rolf had been gone for almost a year and a half. She remembered back to the first days when she had felt the world was caving in and had relied on Ginny to help with the basics of everyday living. From that despair to where she was now was remarkable. Looking back further, she remembered George at Hogwarts. She never would have foreseen this future when she remembered herself as the quirky Ravenclaw laughing at the Gryffindor jokester. Life had definitely taken quite a few twists.


	9. An Unexpected Trial

Chapter 9 – An Unexpected Trial

"Luna love! Help! Do we have more wipes?"

"In the closet dear."

"Um, kind of have my hands full. Roxy, hold still!"

Luna laughed and made her way into the nursery. Shimmying past George, she reached the closet and found the wipes he needed. Looking over, she saw that he really did need them. And Roxy was being her usual early morning squirmy self. She pulled out a couple of wipes and offered them to her boyfriend.

"I wonder sometimes how you managed before I moved in."

"Barely dear, we barely managed. If you hadn't been here I probably would have put poopy butt on the floor, gone to find the wipes and cleaned the floor after."

"Poopy butt!"

"Poopy!"

"Poopy poopy!"

George looked over at three grinning little boys standing in the doorway and groaned while Luna let out a belly laugh.

"Remember to watch what you say George. Little ears."

George nodded as he finished Roxy's diaper change. Luna picked her up while George went to wash. Ushering her brood out the door, Luna headed them all toward the kitchen where she had left the porridge cooking. A few minutes later, George joined them and the family sat down for breakfast. George ate quickly and then passed kisses around the table before hurrying off to the store, grateful yet again to have Luna. Since she had moved in two months earlier, she had taken the task of dropping the kids off at the Burrow, while George usually did the afternoon pickups. Once breakfast was finished, Luna cleaned up everyone and double checked their bag before shuffling them all through the floo to the Burrow. Molly was waiting and quickly took the bag from Luna with a hug, before she made her way outside to apparate to the Ministry.

Meanwhile, George was busy opening his shop and getting ready for his Thursday morning supplies shipment. The morning was seeing an unusual surge in business and George found himself running from one end of the shop to the other, trying to meet the demands of his customers. At ten, he opened the back door and took delivery of the shipment and then went back to help up front. Finally, about an hour later, the flood of traffic slowed and he took a few minutes to go in the back and look over the shipment. A few minutes later, Verity came back to find him.

"George, there's a man up front to see you. From the Ministry."

"Ministry? Alright, send him back. I wonder what they want to order now."

Verity nodded and a minute later, a tall, balding wizard stepped carefully into the back room. George stepped forward to introduce himself.

"Good day sir, George Weasley, proprietor of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Wares and your service."

"Yes, hello Mr. Weasley. I'm Bert Rhys, with the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"Good to meet you. We haven't done business with your department before. What can I help you with?"

"Um, actually, I'm not here for the department. This is more a personal call. This is a bit of an unusual situation. Can I ask, what is your relation to Angelina Susanna Johnson?"

George took a deep breath. "Angie is my ex-wife. The mother of my two children."

"Ah yes, well that would make sense. I've been asked by our colleagues in the States to locate Ms. Johnson's next of kin. I tried to contact her mother, but she passed about six months ago. The stepfather was very disagreeable. You are the next on our list."

"Next of kin? You mean? My god, what happened?"

George stumbled and sat down heavily on a nearby box, not caring what was in it. Mr. Rhys wrung his hands, obviously disturbed.

"I am sorry to have to deliver this news. There was an automobile accident several days ago. Ms. Johnson was killed instantly. I don't have many more details. She was second team for the Denver Dragons and they contacted their local Quidditch Division, who contacted us to find someone to make arrangements. I understand you are divorced. Is there anyone else we could contact?"

George was quiet for a minute, trying to absorb the news. Angie was gone. After everything they'd been through, it was hard to believe. He would have to tell Fred and Roxy. Well, eventually he would tell them. They were probably too young to understand. And now this man was looking for someone to make arrangements. What should he do? Eventually, he found his voice and looked up at Mr. Rhys.

"You said her mum is dead?"

"Yes sir. I found out yesterday."

"Well then, there's no one else. Her mother's husband hasn't been around long. He's just the latest. She has a brother, but he's young. None of her stepfathers will care and none of them should be allowed near her, even now. I guess that leaves me. I'll make arrangements. She is the mother of my children after all. Who do I contact?"

Mr. Rhys handed George a piece of parchment with all the details he would need. He extended his condolences again and then excused himself from the store. George took a couple of minutes to collect himself and then sent an emergency owl to Luna at the Ministry. Once that was done, he went to talk to Verity and give her the news. She had never gotten on well with Angie, but the news still came as a shock. George then went to put things in order to prepare to travel to the States. A few minutes later, Luna arrived.

"George, I'm here. What?"

George went and pulled Luna into his arms, unable to talk at first. Understanding that something was terribly wrong, she let him hold her for a few minutes. When he was ready, he pulled back and sat down with her on the chairs in his office.

"An official from the Ministry came by a while ago. Angie was in an accident. She didn't make it and they came to me as her next of kin. Her mum passed a while ago, so I'm the only family they could reach. I'm going to have to go to the States and make arrangements. I'll try to arrange for a portkey today. It'll probably take me a couple of days. Do you mind staying here with the kids?"

"Oh George, I'm sorry! Of course I'll stay with the kids. Unless you want me to come with you?"

"No, I think I need to do this. It's such a shock. After everything…and now…now she's gone. Thanks for taking the kids. I'm going to call Ron and Harry and see if they can help Verity with the shop. Then I'll go to the Burrow and talk to mum before I head to the Ministry and arrange a portkey. Given that it's an emergency, if I pay enough fees I should be able to get one quick."

"That sounds good. You go ahead and do that and I'll head home and pack you a bag. Come home after you talk to Molly."

George nodded and pulled Luna into his lap. They held each other for a few more minutes before they separated. Luna headed back to their flat while George sent his and Verity's owls off to Ron and Harry. Once that was done, he apparated to the Burrow. Molly was upset upon hearing the news, but agreed that George was doing the right thing. He spent a few minutes with the kids and then apparated home to the flat. Luna was waiting with his bag.

"Alright George, I packed enough for a week. It's probably more than you'll need, but I figured it was best to be prepared. I have casual clothes, as well as a suit and dress robes. I don't know who you'll be meeting with, but I thought they may be needed."

"Thanks love. I'm sure you've got me covered."

Luna insisted on going with George to the Ministry and soon they found themselves waiting in the Department for Magical Transportation while George's emergency portkey request was processed. After paying a hefty fee, the two stage portkey was arranged to depart in forty-five minutes. As the portkey glowed, Luna gave George a final kiss before he winked out, on his way to the Ministry office in Washington DC, where he would pick up his second portkey to Denver. With George on his way, Luna left the Ministry and headed back to the shop to help Verity with the last customers and closing.

George arrived in Denver a couple of hours later and immediately floo called the Denver Dragons office. They provided him an apparition point and he made his way to the director's office. When he arrived, two men were waiting for him. The first man was slightly shorter than George with graying black hair. He introduced himself somberly as David Mason, assistant director of the team. The other man was a head taller than George with a massive build and a blue mohawk, who introduced himself as Tyler Gallagher. When Tyler said he was a first team beater, George was hardly surprised, the man certainly had the build for it. David started the conversation and issued his condolences, before leaving Tyler and George to talk alone. Tyler was visibly upset and a bit nervous as George asked him for details about what happened.

"Well Mr. Weasley, you see…"

"George, please."

"Okay, George. You see, Angie and I were friends. Good friends. She told me she had been married, but I didn't know anything about you. She didn't like to talk about England much. We were, um, together that night. I've already admitted to the team what we were doing. We did some coke, that's a muggle drug, and then we split a delirium potion. After that we decided to go out with some other friends for drinks. I don't know, it was probably a bit past midnight by that point. Jamie is muggle born, loves his cars. He was going fast and lost control on the freeway. There were four of us in the car. Jamie and Angie were in the front. Neither of them made it. I got away with just a broken arm. Guess I was lucky, but it doesn't feel like it. I wish I could trade places with Angie. I know you and her probably had bad history, but she was a sweet girl under the toughness. I cared for her."

George nodded as he absorbed the information. None of it really came as a surprise. Angie was partying and it got out of hand once again. She always played too close to the edge and it finally caught up with her. Looking at the young man in front of him, George judged that he was only a couple of years younger than him. They were vastly different, but they had both cared about Angie. Now she was gone. George tried to figure out what to tell him.

"Thanks for letting me know the truth. I can't say I'm surprised. Angie always was wild. Having a baby didn't settle her and having a second sure didn't. I wish she had had an easier life. I tried to help her once, but it wasn't something I could do. Now at least I can see to it that she gets a proper memorial."

"Angie had kids? Man, I didn't know. She never talked about her past. How are they taking this?"

"I haven't told them. Fred is three and a half and Roxy's a year. Fred hasn't seen her for nearly two years and she left Roxy with me when she was an infant. They don't have any memories of her. I'll probably wait and tell them when they're older."

"Wow, that's rough. Well, whatever you decide to do, I'd like to come to the service. Me and some of the others from the team. If that's alright."

"Sure, I'll send details to the office once everything is arranged."

Tyler thanked George and left the office. Mr. Mason came back in to talk to George next. A few minutes later, he was on his way to a local funeral home. Since he had received the news, George had been contemplating what to do and now he was decided. He made arrangements for immediate cremation and then went to check into a local hotel. It was still early local time, but he was completely spent as he collapsed in his room.

The next morning, George woke and went to the Dragons office to send a floo note back home. Then he followed a couple of team members to the flat that Angie had shared with them. With their help, all of her stuff was packed up. It was difficult, but not as bad as he had anticipated since she hadn't kept anything from the past. The only thing she had from her previous life was one picture in the back of a drawer that had been taken with George on their honeymoon. He stared at it for a long while, remembering one of their few happy times. Once the flat was cleaned out, he accepted her flatmates offer of lunch. The meal was a bit somber, but it was good to hear her friends talk about Angie's brief life in the States. When they finished, George went back to the hotel and watched the television. He had seen them before, but had never worked with one much. He spent the rest of the day flipping through programs, not really watching much.

The following afternoon, George collected the small urn that contained Angie's ashes. As he held the simple container, it seemed impossible that the larger than life person that had been his ex-wife was contained in so small a vessel. He broke down briefly and the funeral director comforted him with practiced ease. Once he was under control, George left and went to the local Department of Magic to arrange for a portkey. They were initially perturbed with his request for an immediate portkey, but his upset state and the fact that he was carrying remains helped to calm the few staff members in the local office. Shortly before five in the evening, the portkeys were arranged and George was on his way home. He arrived back at the Ministry shortly before six in the morning on Sunday. The Department of Magical Transportation had one old witch on duty who waved him through without even glancing at his paperwork. Once he left the Ministry, he apparated back to the flat.

Luna and the kids were still sleeping when George arrived home. Tucking the bag with the urn on the top shelf of a closet and shuddering a bit at the thought, he made his way in to look at the beautiful blonde in his bed. She was so much different from Angie in every way. He felt blessed to be given a second chance. Feeling completely exhausted, he stripped to his boxers and crawled in next to her. Luna squirmed and mumbled at him as she wrapped her body around his, never waking completely. George pulled her close and drifted into a content sleep. Three hours later, he woke to the sound of children being shushed as Luna fixed breakfast. Feeling much better after just a couple of hours sleep in his own bed, George stopped at the loo and then made his way to the kitchen. The kids all screamed and the boys jumped out of their seats to run for him as Roxy squealed, upset at being contained in her high chair. George hugged all the boys and then picked up his daughter before crossing the kitchen to pull Luna into the embrace. He kissed her deeply as her eyes asked a million questions.

"Later."

Luna nodded and turned back to add cheese to the eggs she was fixing. George finished smooching Roxy and put her back in her chair, before then helping to settle the boys and filling sippy cups. After breakfast, the kids went to the living room to play and George sat down to talk with Luna.

"So, you made the trip quick. How did everything go? What are the plans?"

"Yes, there wasn't much to do. I spoke to some of her teammates and then made arrangements for cremation. When Angie was pregnant with Fred, I once tried to discuss wills and directives with her, but she refused to even think about those things. She doesn't really have family and any she once had moved around a lot, so they don't really have an area they're tied to. I decided it would be easier to cremate rather than figure out where to bury her. I thought I'd spread the ashes at Sheepstor Lake. It was one of her favorite spots to go to when she needed to get away. I'll probably just do a small memorial, myself and a couple of friends. Some of her teammates want to come. I don't think I'll tell the kids. They have no memory of her. Maybe when they're older, we can go to the lake together."

"That sounds reasonable George. I'll keep the kids here if you want. When were you planning on doing this?"

"Thanks, but would you mind coming with me? I'll ask mum or Ginny to keep the kids. I…this has been harder than I thought. I was thinking next Saturday. That will give her teammates time to come in from the States."

"Of course George. Whatever you need. We'll plan on Saturday. We should pick up some flowers to spread."

George nodded and let Luna hold him as they grew quiet. He was perched between two lives, saying goodbye to his ex-wife while his girlfriend comforted him. He felt raw with a mix of emotions.

Over the next week, George and Luna continued with life as normal. George was back at the shop and Luna was working her three days at the Ministry. George sent memorial service information to the Dragons headquarters in the States and recommended the Leaky for rooms for anyone staying overnight. He'd planned the service for 11am, followed by lunch at the Leaky. He notified several of Angie's friends and expected a few to be joining from both sides of the pond. Ginny had offered to take the kids so that Luna could be with George.

When Saturday arrived, they took the kids to Ginny's around 10:30 and then floo'd to a pub in the village near the lake. The area had a small, well-established magical community and was easy to travel to and from. That was part of the reason that Angie had enjoyed it when she needed to get away, often after she and George had a bad row. George and Luna waited in the pub and gradually others began arriving. Katie Bell came first with her long-time boyfriend Oliver Wood. Next, Tyler came with another wizard from the Dragons and two witches who had been Angie's flatmates. Finally, Alicia Spinnet was the last of Angie's old friends to appear. George greeted everyone and introduced Luna to those who didn't know her. Katie and Oliver were a bit surprised to see their pairing, but welcomed Luna enthusiastically. With the group assembled, they made the brief walk out of the village and up the hill to the lake.

The walk took about fifteen minutes, during which time everyone remained quiet, lost in their own thoughts. When they reached an overlook at an outcropping of rock with a beautiful view off to the west, George paused and said a few words. He chose to remember the bubbly girl that he first met at Hogwarts and then to remember a few of their good times, skipping over the rest in between. When he finished, he turned to the others and each person in turn gave their memories. Luna was the lone exception, as she had hardly known Angie. She simply stood and held the flowers that they had picked out, while clutching George on her other side. When everyone finished, George muttered a short prayer as he opened the urn and let the ashes blow out on the breeze. As the last of the ashes settled on the water, Luna passed out flowers and everyone tossed a few over the ashes and let them drift on the lake. George wiped away a few tears, as did a couple of others as the brief service concluded. George then drew his wand and excised a small hole on the bank of the lake, where he placed the now empty urn. With another wave of his wand, he filled the hole and turned to leave, clutching Luna to his side as the last remnants of his first love drifted into the water.


	10. Twists in the Road

Chapter 10 – Twists in the Road

Luna peered through the old parchment, occasionally casting a mild scourgify spell to clean a hundreds of years of dust off the old records. The parchments she was currently working on were some of the oldest she was analyzing. While highly fascinating, the records had been stored poorly and were degraded, dirty, and barely legible. The current bit of writing she was deciphering was a 17th century account of the sighting of a dobhar-chu on the north coast of Ireland. There were quite a few sightings of similar beasts from that point onward, but the record that she was currently working on was supposedly the oldest that the Ministry had on record. It was vital that she clean and translate the ancient records from the old Irish dialect they were written in before they disintegrated completely. The work was much like what she had been doing for over a year and she found it all quite interesting. Today though, she was having a hard time focusing as her thoughts drifted to home.

Thinking of her children, Luna paused to smile. All four of the kids were growing rapidly and talking constantly. She and George had celebrated a year together one month previously and she now thought of Fred and Roxy as hers as much as she did Lorry and Sander. George was a dutiful father and Luna counted herself blessed that she had found him so soon after losing Rolf. They talked occasionally about the future, but were content with life as it was. One thing they were discussing seriously was getting a house with a yard for the kids. That had become a necessity in recent months. Molly of course still dropped hints on occasion about formalizing their partnership, but she and George had become experts at brushing aside her attempts. Sighing, Luna tried to refocus her thoughts back on her work. A half hour later, she was awakened from an impromptu nap when Melanie shook her shoulder.

"Hey Luna, your writing looks better on the parchment than your face."

Luna groaned and rolled her chair back to her desk to retrieve a mirror from the drawer. Sure enough, she had ink smeared across her face. A quick cleaning spell cleared it, as Melanie watched her.

"You alright Luna? I know the records can be boring, but you don't normally doze off."

"Yes, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep. I haven't been feeling well. I think the kids maybe brought home something. Victoire was sick and I think she's sharing with her cousins."

"Well, none of these records have gone anywhere for at least a hundred years. They can probably wait a couple more days. Why don't you head home? Your kids are taken care of, you should take a day for yourself."

"That does sound good. I'm really sorry. Let me go talk to Evan."

A few minutes later, Luna was leaving the department after a talk with her boss. He excused her with no issue, only concerned that she wasn't feeling well. Luna counted her blessings yet again that she had a job she enjoyed and colleagues that she got along well with. Her job was extraneous and part time, but everyone still appreciated what she did. Reaching the outside apparition point of the Ministry, she apparated back to the flat. The place was impossibly quiet and Luna smiled as she made her way to the bedroom. Stripping off her shoes and skirt, she fell into the bed and was asleep almost instantly.

Several hours later, she woke and was surprised to find it was after one. She really had been more tired than she realized. Then her stomach started to protest the delayed lunch and Luna headed through the empty flat to the kitchen. Delighted to find that there was still some leftover roast beef, she quickly prepared herself a mammoth sandwich. As she was getting ready to eat, a sudden stroke of inspiration hit and she decided to add a pile of horseradish to the sandwich. It was nearly too big to fit her mouth around, but it tasted heavenly as she inhaled it quickly. Then she realized that she had probably eaten too fast, as her stomach rebelled almost immediately. Setting the rest of the sandwich aside, Luna sat back and tried to will her stomach to behave. Unfortunately, she lost the battle as she went running for the bathroom and lost what she had eaten of her delightful lunch. With her purge done, she was suddenly hungry again, but this time she wanted chocolate. Deciding that her body was confused and she wouldn't tempt fate, Luna denied herself anything more than a glass of water and returned to bed. Laying down, she tried to ignore her hunger pains and silently cursed the children for sharing their colds.

As she started to doze off again, Luna thought to herself 'but the kids have just had the sniffles and a cough, they've been eating fine'. Well, if the kids weren't the culprit for her woes, maybe it was the food. George had taken a roast beef sandwich for lunch, she wondered if he was having any problems. But the roast beef had been dinner last night and no one was sick this morning. What else could make her sick? Then it occurred to her that she had been sick like this before. Strange cravings, sick in the middle of the day with no explanation. Oh, and tired, unusually so. Damn, she had all the symptoms. But how? She was on the Potion, had been since she had moved in with George eight months earlier. Then she remembered Bristol. Five weeks earlier they had taken the kids on a vacation to the beach. Her potion had run out halfway through the trip and they had decided to use the charm instead for a few days. Except they'd forgotten once or twice. George had a way of distracting her and she had never been very good with the charm, that was why she liked the Potion. Damn again, it all fit. Sighing, she decided that she should go and get at test kit to confirm her suspicion. At least it would distract her from her hunger.

Luna made her way to the local apothecary and picked up the pregnancy test potion. The old witch behind the counter smiled sweetly and wished her luck as she wrapped up the purchase. Luck? Luna wondered if she wanted luck. Everything was going well with George and they certainly had their hands full with four kids. She had always thought she would want at least one more after the boys, but that was when she and Rolf were married. George had given her two more kids that she adored and she didn't really feel the need for more. Well, if it was true, then what was done was done. Arriving back at the flat, she went to bathroom and started the potion. Ten minutes later, the results were glaringly obvious. She was pregnant. Not that she was surprised, the symptoms fit perfectly. Groaning, Luna collapsed to the floor and stared at the flask. After a few minutes, she decided that she should tell George soon, preferably without the kids. Pulling herself off the floor, she set the flask on the counter and then sent a patronus to the shop.

"George, no rush, but when you close the shop, come home before you go to pick up the kids."

That message should mean that he would be home in about an hour and a half. She didn't want to worry him and there was no reason to hurry. Since she had time, Luna decided to take advantage of having the kids gone and began to work on cleaning up the living room. A few minutes later, her cleaning frenzy was interrupted by a pop as George arrived home.

"Luna! What is it? Why are you home early? Are you sick?"

"George, I said to come by after you closed the shop. I said not to rush."

"Yeah right. Like I could stay there when I knew you were home early and didn't know why. Verity has the place covered now that I hired Dave. So, why are you home early?"

Luna sighed and went to George, folding herself into his arms and taking a long minute to just enjoy being held without saying anything. Her unusual quiet worried George more.

"Luna, I love you. What is wrong?"

"I love you too George. More than I thought I could love again. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

George pulled back and looked at her, concern in his eyes as he leaned forward to plant a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose.

"George, I'm pregnant."

George pushed her back, looking at her with eyes wide open. He seemed in shock for a few seconds and Luna's stomach flipped with uncertainty. Then he did the most marvelous thing. Suddenly, his face lit up and he let out a happy yelp. Then she was being hugged and spun all in one swift motion.

"A baby! Our baby. The two of us! WOW."

"So you're happy? I know this wasn't planned. This will be number five."

"Of course I'm happy. And yes, four plus one equals five. Well, if it is one. You've already had twins once, and they run in my family of course."

"Please George, I think one will be enough. I've had enough surprises for today."

"So when did this happen? How far along do you think you are?"

"Bristol, our beach vacation. So about five weeks."

Realization hit George as he broke out in another grin. Looking at him, Luna couldn't help but be happy. Five kids sounded a bit insane, but they were in love and they had the money to care for a large family. She decided that since George was happy she could now be happy as well. She had wanted to be before, but apprehension dampened her enthusiasm. Now she smiled and hugged George tighter as he leaned down and claimed her mouth. Soon they were snogging and he started to unbutton her blouse. Groaning, she pulled back and smirked at him.

"And I do believe this is how we got ourselves in trouble."

"But since we're already in trouble, we might as well get in some more. Especially since we have the place to ourselves."

George grinned wickedly at her as he started to nibble on her ear and Luna gave in to her growing desire. Soon George had her stripped down to her knickers as she dropped his pants. He seemed impatient and she found herself willing to meet his unspoken demand when he thrust his hips against her leg, she yanked his boxers down and growled for him to get on with it. Tearing her knickers off, he suddenly had her bare as he fingered her briefly before bending her over the arm of the couch and plunging into her swiftly.

"Fuck…yes George. Gods I love it when you take me fast."

Needing no further encouragement, he began to thrust into her at a rapid pace, causing Luna to scream his name and climax quickly. He was about to slow down to allow her a chance to recover, but she grabbed his hips and insisted that he keep going as she continued to whimper through the continuing waves of her orgasm. A couple of minutes later, George poured himself into her as he came, screaming her name. Exhausted, he pulled her around as they collapsed together on the couch.

"Wow Luna love. That was hot and fast."

"Yes, I love the foreplay when you work me up, but that was incredible as well."

"Well, variety is important."

They laughed together and then they started kissing again. Reluctantly, George pulled back and sat up.

"So, we still have some time this afternoon. The shop is covered. Do you want to go see a healer and make this official?"

"If you want to. The potion says it's 99% accurate."

"Still, I want to make sure everything is good with you."

Luna conceded and they got cleaned up, dressed and apparated to St. Mungo's. Mid-afternoon on a Thursday wasn't busy and they didn't have long to wait. The test went quickly and the healer confirmed the happy news. He also confirmed that they were actually only expecting a single baby. Luna was well, except for a minor iron deficiency. The healer gave her an initial potion and then prescribed vitamins and scheduled another appointment in a month. He also confirmed that she was correct at the five week mark. With the appointment complete, they stopped at the grocery and then headed back to the flat. Once there, George floo'd to the Burrow to pick up the kids. They had decided to wait to deliver the news when the family met for Sunday lunch at the Potters. George thought that a private celebration was also in order and asked his mum to babysit the next night so that he could take Luna to dinner. Molly agreed and seemed oblivious to the occasion being anything more than a standard date, for which George was glad. That night, they each had a hard time keeping the news from the kids, but they knew it was best to wait. The kids ranged from 2 ½ to 4 and had no sense on how to keep a secret.

The next day, George continued on to the shop as normal to open in the morning. As soon as the first rush cleared, he left to run a couple of errands to prepare for his date with Luna. Meanwhile, Luna had the kids for the day, as usual for a Friday and was busy around the house and then took them to the bookstore for a reading with a local children's author. When George arrived home from the shop, Luna was already together and took the kids on to the Burrow for the evening. When she returned to the flat, George insisted that she side-along with him, as he wanted the evening to be a surprise.

Their initial destination was a non impressive alley, but as George led her down the street, Luna realized that they were in the heart of muggle London. Intrigued, she and George chatted, but he refused to give in to her subtle prodding for clues. Soon they arrived at a historic old warehouse that had been converted into high end shops and flats. Their destination was actually the top floor of the building, where a very nice restaurant offered covered, rooftop seating with a view of the city skyline. The restaurant was one of the nicest Luna had been in and she shot George an appreciative glance as the host seated them. The food was a magnificent blend of English and European fare and Luna was pleased that her rebellious stomach settled for the night so that she could enjoy it. They lingered long over the many courses and when it came time for dessert, they ordered a chocolate sampler to share. While they waited for their dessert, George reached over and took Luna's hand in his. Looking at the radiant beauty who had reawakened his heart, he took a moment to collect himself and speak the words that had been running through his head all day.

"Luna, I know I've told you before, but I want you to know how much I love you. We've both been through so much, but you've brought me back to life. Now you're carrying a new life that our love created and I couldn't be happier, except for one thing. The only way I could be happier is if you would agree to be my wife."

As he spoke, George reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Luna gasped at the large diamond on a platinum band, flanked by amethysts and diamonds, their birthstones. Realizing the ring was obviously custom and had to have been ordered for a while, she was reassured that this wasn't a sudden decision.

"Yes Luna, I had the ring already. Or almost. I hadn't picked it up yet. I wasn't sure when I was going to ask, but after the news we received yesterday, I figured we shouldn't wait. I'm thrilled about our addition, but I wanted to marry you even before. Will you marry me?"

"Yes George. Yes."

Beaming, George took the ring and placed it on her finger before leaning across the table to kiss her deeply. As they separated, they became aware of their waiter, who was holding their dessert and had stayed well back from the table, but was also beaming at the young couple. George waved him over and the waiter came and offered his hearty congratulations as he set the magnificent looking platter with an array of chocolate confections before them. Luna immediately started on the chocolate gateau and then stopped to admire her ring.

"Well, this will make lunch with your mum easier once we give her the news about the baby."

"Yes, I thought about that. You do know she'll be crazy with the wedding planning."

"Well, we'll see. I'd like something simple, but with our family and friends. When Rolf and I married, we just went to the local Ministry office. It would be nice to have an actual ceremony."

"Whatever you want Luna love."

They finished the decadent dessert while talking about ideas for the wedding. After they finished and left the restaurant, they walked around town for a while, arms wrapped around each other, blissfully happy as they talked. As the night grew late, they found a dark alcove and apparated to the Burrow to pick up the kids. Upon mutual agreement, Luna cast a glamour charm to hide the ring until they made their announcement on Sunday. As they collected their four sleepy kids and headed home, Luna wondered how they would manage when they had one more child than they had arms.

Saturday passed quickly and soon it was time for the Lunch of the Big Announcements. This Sunday, Ginny was hosting at the Potters' and Luna had agreed to make a large fruit salad, coconut on the side. Luna had wanted to talk to Ginny about her news more than anyone and could barely wait for her best friend to find out that they would officially become sisters. As soon as they arrived at Ginny's house and deposited all the kids, Ginny looked at her friend with a smirk.

"Luna, what is it? I can tell you've got news. Ooh, did my brother finally wise up?"

Luna laughed as Ginny's eyes shot to her apparently empty left hand. "Gin, just wait for the family to arrive, please."

Ginny made a frustrated noise, but seemed to be satisfied with Luna's near admission that she had something to announce. Percy and Audrey had arrived before George and Luna, but everyone else slowly trickled in after them. Charlie was the only one absent and Molly once again made noise about him needing to find a job closer to home. After a few minutes of chatting and brotherly teasing, Ginny called the chaos to order and lunch began with parents and grandparents arranging plates for all the children. Once the little ones were settled, the adults all found their places and soon a mad rush began as all the dishes were passed. Luna sat next to George and glanced over at him a couple of times, wondering when would be good to make their announcements. The table was fairly quiet while everyone ate and Luna wanted to get it over with. After a few minutes, George gave her a nudge. They had agreed that Luna would start and then George would continue with their second announcement. Setting her fork down, Luna began.

"Everyone, George and I ha…"

"Hey everyone, I have a…"

Luna looked at Hermione and the two women laughed as their announcements battled each other. Everyone at the table was paying attention now and the room was even quieter than it had been. Luna nodded to Hermione and let her continue.

"Thanks Luna. As I was saying, we have an announcement. We're expecting again!"

The table erupted in a riot of cheers as Ron grinned and accepted a few backslaps from his brothers. Molly dabbed tears and went around the table to hug Hermione. Luna smiled and squeezed George's hand. This was turning out to be a very memorable Weasley lunch. Once the commotion quieted, Hermione gestured at Luna to continue with her news.

"Well, we have an announcement as well. We're engaged!"

As she made the announcement, George dissolved the glamour charm on the ring and Luna held her hand up. The room became madness again as all the women made their way to Luna for hugs and a glimpse at the ring. Ginny was in tears as she hugged her best friend.

"We're going to be sisters finally! I'm so happy my brother is smarter than he looks."

George began protesting and everyone laughed and returned to their seats. As the meal was about to continue, George cleared his throat and began his half of the announcement.

"One other thing we need to tell you. We're expecting as well."

This time the room went quiet for a few seconds before erupting in noise once again. Molly looked like she might faint as she clutched at Arthur. Hermione and Ginny were both tearing up, as Percy exploded with his response to the news.

"George! That makes five!"

George laughed at his brother. "Congratulations Percy, you pass basic math! It's good to know, considering your senior position at the Ministry."

Everyone else joined in the laughter and Molly seemed to have finally collected herself as she made her way over to hug Luna and then George.

"Well, I suppose we need to start planning a wedding."

George nodded and gave Luna a knowing grin as the meal finally resumed. The conversation centered around both the expectant mothers, who it turned out were only a week apart. Then the talk turned to wedding details, which Luna had no idea on yet, but her sister-in-laws all had input. With the news delivered and well received, she was able to let her nerves settle and enjoy her time with the family. Things had certainly changed for her over the previous two years.


	11. Developments

Chapter 11 – Developments

The month following their engagement, Luna and George began their house hunt. They decided to look near magical communities, namely in the west country since that was where both of them had grown up. They contacted a friend of the Lovegoods, Jeremiah Grafton, who was one of only a handful of wizarding realtors. Jeremiah was a half blood, whose mother had been a muggle who had raised him with a knowledge of both worlds. This gave him a unique viewpoint when searching for properties in areas with magical communities that were also near muggles. Both Luna and George specified that they wanted a good size house with history, charm, and a good bit of land. Their budget was quite sizeable and Jere assured them it wouldn't take long to locate some possibilities. While he began the search, life continued on busily for the couple. Luna's coworkers were all excited at her news and she soon adjusted herself so that she could continue working, but take naps in the afternoons after work. Doing so minimized any more of her dozing episodes.

Along with work, Luna began plans for the wedding. Molly and Ginny were both excited and contributed ideas. Ginny was also helpful in reigning in her mother and allowing Luna room to breathe. About a week after the engagement, she and George set a date in May that was about seven weeks away. It gave them enough time to plan and would be right at the end of Luna's first trimester. With the right cut of dress, she shouldn't show too much at the wedding.

A week after they first contacted him, Jere floo called one afternoon and arranged a meeting the following Friday. Molly happily took the kids for a few hours, while George arranged for his employees to handle the shop. They met Jere at a point just west of Mould-on-Would to look at a cottage in a small magical corner of the village. The cottage was quite nice, but they both decided the property was not large enough. Jere then showed them another property nearby and then they apparated just south of London. That third property was close to what they were looking for, but didn't seem to quite fit and it had no magical history, despite there being a couple of magical families nearby. With all three properties being a miss, Jere assured them he would keep looking and they headed to the Burrow for dinner and to pick up the kids.

While they waited for a new list of properties to examine, they remained busy at work and home. At home, the flat seemed to be growing smaller by the day as the four rambunctious children bounced off the walls. On her days off, Luna regularly took the kids out, but her ongoing fatigue meant her patience was pushed to the limit. She counted down the days, hoping that it would improve once she passed her first trimester, as it had with her first pregnancy. Molly and Ginny were always available and regularly took the kids when Luna needed a break. George desperately wanted to take the kids to the shop and start raising them in the family business, but they both agreed to wait until Fred was at least five. Meanwhile, at work, Luna continued her research and the information she was compiling was starting to form into a book she hoped to publish in a year or two. Evan and the department were in complete support and everyone was reaping the rewards as her work made their own research much easier. Now when they had reports of unusual creature sightings, cross referencing past sightings took mere hours instead of days.

Five days after the previous trip to look at houses, Jere arranged another afternoon with Luna and George. He had four houses scheduled and the first one was located near the Burrow on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. Unfortunately, the house was in near ruins and they both decided it was more than they wanted to take on with a wedding and a baby in the near future. Next they visited a magical suburb of London, but once again the land was not what they were looking for. The third house was located on the edge of Tutshill, also in the west country where they wanted to be. The house sat on a piece of property that was just shy of two hectares. It was a classic English cottage, but added on to several times since its original construction nearly one hundred years previously. It had six bedrooms, four full and a partial bath. There was also a large living room with a hearth style kitchen, separate dining room and a conservatory off the back. The place had been empty for several years and the grounds were overgrown, but the house itself was in decent condition. It needed cleaning and redecorating, but the work was all quite doable. Tutshill was an average size village where several wizarding families lived close with muggles, who had an idea that some of their neighbors were a bit odd, but didn't give it much mind. George and Luna fell in love with the village and the house and immediately knew they had their place. The house price was well within their budget and left a more than adequate remodeling fund. Jere was thrilled and apparated them back to his office where he cancelled the fourth showing for the day and then started the paperwork for George and Luna to make an offer.

The following day was Saturday and George had just returned from a half day at the shop when Jere floo called to tell them the house was theirs. George immediately swept Luna into his arms and began to kiss her soundly as he spun her around the room. The kids laughed and Roxy clapped as usual. They were clueless as to why their parents were happy, but were feeding off the good mood. That evening the family went out together to celebrate. As George sat watching Luna cut up Roxy's pizza, he looked over to see all three boys hanging their pizza slices in the air while they tried to eat them gracefully and failed completely. Luna felt his eyes on them and looked up and smiled at George. Her smile was a beacon and his throat caught with the love he felt for his family. He had come so far from the days of his divorce when Angie had left him and Fred and he felt nothing but despair. Luna was the main reason for his change in fortune and he silently vowed once again to do everything he could to make her happy. His loving reverie was then cut short when Lorry started to choke because he tried to shove half the pizza slice in his mouth at once. George grabbed his wand and the glob of pizza flew out as the boy gasped and smiled at his father. George just laughed and shook his head.

The finalization of their house purchase took a month. Two weeks before the wedding they took possession of the place and started a few plans, but deferred most of the work until after the wedding. The one exception was the grounds. They hired a magical landscaping crew who came in and in a matter of days cleared years of overgrowth and gradually started to prune and nourish the bushes and trees. George and Luna both agreed that they wanted to keep much of the historic gardens, but they did need to bring them under control. The crew began to catalog what was in the gardens, aided by the fact that it was spring and a number of items were in bloom. They soon discovered that several of the camellias and roses were unusual varieties and Luna sent an owl to an old friend for assistance. Neville was more than happy to help and met Luna one day at the house as they walked around the grounds and he excitedly examined all the trees and bushes. He took a number of samples and George and Luna were pleased to find that they had several rare varieties of plants and two varieties that were believed to be no longer available. They readily let Neville take cuttings and let him know he would always be welcome to come back for more. In exchange, he promised to check in and make sure all the plants remained in good condition.

The day of the wedding dawned with a bit of fog that burned off by mid-morning as the day brightened beautifully. After breakfast, George, Luna, and the kids floo'd to the Burrow. When they arrived, Molly was already buzzing around and Arthur was outside with the party crew who had arrived to set up the gazebo and tent to the east of the house. Ginny and Harry arrived minutes later and then rest of the family gradually dribbled in over the next hour.

George and Luna both wanted a simple affair, but since George had eloped the first time, all of the extended Weasley and Prewett clan wanted to be in attendance. Luna had a few guests, as well as all their school friends. By the end, they were expecting around 140 and Molly insisted that was actually quite small for her family. George had left most of the planning to Luna, but had insisted on bringing in a professional party crew to take some of the work off his mother. Molly had bristled initially, but eventually warmed to the idea.

As the morning wore on, the side yard of the Burrow was transformed into an explosion of spring with a gazebo at the end of a field of wildflowers. Perched in the flowers were rows of multi-color pastel chairs with the aisle rimmed in a shimmery opalescent ribbon. At ten, Luna and Ginny went to Ginny's old room and began her preparations. A half hour later George was upstairs with his brothers and sons to put on his suit. The suit was white with wide cream color lapels and a pale green tie. Ron stood by his side in a cream suit with a peach tie. Each of the boys wore small white suits with different color ties. They were dressed last and George begged them to stay nice for just an hour. Once they were all dressed, they made their way downstairs and proceeded toward the gazebo at five minutes until eleven.

Precisely at eleven, Luna, Ginny and Roxy descended the stairs of the Burrow and made their way to the ceremony. Luna had decided that with her father gone and the fact that this was her second wedding, the idea of being given away was ridiculous and she would walk herself down the aisle. Before her first went Roxy, scattering petals as she beamed at the assembled guests. She looked precious in her white dress with multi-color embroidered flowers. Ginny followed in a flowing pale green dress that cut from one shoulder down to mid-thigh. She looked beautiful and Harry grinned appreciatively as he held James back from running down the aisle to greet his mother. Finally, the harp music changed as Luna's turn came. She arrived at the start of the aisle looking radiant as her hair glowed in undulating waves from her shoulders down to her strapless dress. The dress was cream with thousands of sparkling Austrian crystals that reflected a rainbow of colors. She carried a loose bundle of wildflowers in a range of colors. George gaped at the sight of her and Ron leaned forward to chuckle and tell his brother to close his mouth. Luna proceeded up the aisle at a set pace, never taking her eyes off George. When she reached the front, she handed her bouquet to Ginny and turned to take George's hands in hers as the ceremony began.

The Ministry officiant was a small witch with a shock of grey hair and a surprisingly loud voice. She first incanted the marital binding charm and then George and Luna made their declarations to each other. Next, she took the rings and tapped each with her wand before first handing Luna's to George to place on her finger and then handing George's to Luna to place on his finger. With that complete, she sealed the marital vows and completed the charm as the air around the two of them shimmered. From that point the ceremony had been standard, but now they had planned a second part of the ceremony to include the children. Lorry and Sander were placed at Luna's side, while Fred and Roxy stood by George. George took his wand and lightly cut his hand as he kneeled down to make a blood vow to Lorry and Sander, taking them as his own and promising to cherish and nurture them throughout their lives. While he and Luna had agreed that the twins would keep the Scamander name so that it wouldn't die out, George wanted them to know that he considered himself their father. Once George's vow was complete, he stood and Luna took her turn. Kneeling carefully in her dress, she took her wand and cut her hand as she performed the same blood vow and bound herself to Fred and Roxanne. With the vows done, George healed Luna's cut and she healed his before then turning back to the officiant. With a grin, the witch officially announced them as Mr. and Mrs. George Weasley and Family. George needed no prompting as he swiftly took Luna in his arms and kissed her completely. This time the entire crowd joined Roxy when she applauded.

With the ceremony complete, the party began. A full luncheon was planned under a large tent that was erected not far from the ceremony setting. A dance floor was also in place and music started an hour later, giving everyone a chance to eat. Luna was famished and made it clear that she was eating before proceeding with any social obligations. Once she and George ate, they opened the dance floor with just the two of them. After a minute, the family sent all four kids out to join them and they formed a circle as they danced together as a family. Molly was in tears once again as the photographers snapped away.

Once the family was done with the first song, everyone else joined them and the next couple of hours were spent with George and Luna making their rounds between all their friends and family. Finally, at three, some of the attendees had started to disperse and the bride and groom decided to make their exit. The kids were all set to go to Aunt Ginny's for three days while George and Luna took a brief honeymoon. Later in the summer, they had a family vacation planned. Promptly at 3:15, George and Luna finished their goodbyes and took hold of their portkey as they were whisked off to a small cottage near the sea.


	12. Moving and Growing

Chapter 12 – Moving and Growing

After their three day getaway, George and Luna returned and immediately began work on the house. Luna was now firmly in her second trimester. She was showing and glowing as George said happily. She was also feeling better and found her energy improving, which helped with the long list that the new house needed. First, they hired a magical contractor to handle a few structural issues, as well as roof repairs. Once the house was stable, they moved inside and began to update all the plumbing and adjusted a bit of the floorplan. All of the family stopped by at different times to check the progress and Harry especially was surprised at the speed at which everything was progressing. The rest of the family were all used to the magical way of things being done, but Harry had been raised muggle and let Luna know that the house was progressing at a phenomenal speed versus what muggles would have done.

A month after the wedding, only a few decorating items were left with the house and George and Luna took a day to shop for furniture. They had some from the flat, but much of it was worn and there wasn't near enough. George would have preferred to skip the shopping, but Luna insisted on his input. A couple of hours into the day she began to wonder though when George curled up on a couch and started falling asleep, declaring it was comfortable and suitable. Except for the fact that it was a hideous paisley, but that fact seemed to be missed since George was mainly concerned about comfort. After a very long day, they finally finished with a quite eclectic mix of furnishings. Many of the sales staff at the stores raised their eyebrows, but the selections suited the unusual family that was buying them. Once the furnishings were delivered, George and Luna set a date seven weeks after the wedding for the final move in. The entire family marked the Saturday on their calendars to help with the move.

The Saturday of the move dawned and it took George several attempts to wake his very groggy wife. They had been up late finalizing packing and she was feeling the effects of several long weeks. He rubbed her belly as she started to groan and was greeted by a firm kick. George's eyes shot open and his face lit up. It was the first movement he had felt. Luna smiled up at him.

"Couldn't wake me up, so you decided to wake her up instead?"

"Her?"

"I think. It would be nice to balance the odds for Roxy. Anyway, with her awake I'm not sleeping anymore. Time to get busy."

George leaned over and kissed her thoroughly. As his hands wandered, Luna started kissing him again and George decided that they had enough time for a bit of fun before the work of the day began. He worked his hand into her knickers and started stroking her lightly as he pulled her nightshirt off and began to nibble her breasts. He found her nipples were highly sensitive and, as his mouth closed on one, she began to thrust her hips against his hand. George was rock solid as his wife reached, yanked off his boxers and grabbed his cock. He divested her of the knickers and moved back up to claim her mouth as he positioned himself to enter her. Deciding to tease just a bit, he tapped his cock against her clit and dragged it down through her folds.

"Gods George, we've got things to do, get on with it already!"

George chuckled and continued his teasing. As Luna was about to say something else, he thrust into her suddenly, sheathing himself completely as the words died when she gasped and grabbed his shoulders. He began a slow and steady rhythm as he leaned forward and nibbled his way from her ear down her neck, grinning as she began to beg in his ear. Gradually he increased his pace and after a few minutes of loving, she began to pant as she closed in on her climax. George was also close and pulled back as he repositioned and pulled her legs up around him, deepening each thrust. That finally tipped Luna over the edge as she threw her head back and came. One more thrust and George joined her, sending a heavy load shooting off in her as he seemed to come forever. When he finally began to soften, he pulled out and rolled to the side. Looking at his beautiful wife, he took her face in his hands and kissed her long and slow. Some minutes later they collected themselves and slowly got out of bed. Luna put on a robe and went to check the kids. She was back a minute later, smiling.

"Well, we're early and they're still sacked out. Fancy a shower with your wife?"

George grinned stupidly and reached to untie her robe. Almost an hour later they were finally cleaned and dressed as Fred was the first to make his appearance, followed shortly after by his brothers. Luna went to retrieve Roxy while George started breakfast. Once they ate, they began to get the kids ready and the family started to arrive as the last child preparations were underway. With the help of Harry, Ginny, Molly, Arthur and Bill they began to prepare the move. Fleur meanwhile took all the kids on to the new house and setup a playroom to keep them busy. Everyone at the flat was assigned rooms and each thanked the gods for magic as they shrunk, lightened, and levitated furniture and boxes. Within a couple of hours they had everything apparated to the new house and began to put things in place. While that was being done, Molly popped out for a while and returned an hour later with lunch. Everyone took a break to eat and George and Luna cuddled close as they enjoyed their first meal in their new home.

After lunch, Fleur and Luna put the kids down for naps. Another hour's work saw everything arranged with only a few boxes left to be unpacked. Shortly before three the job was done and all the family said their goodbyes as George and Luna thanked them profusely. With the family gone and the kids asleep, they retreated to their new bedroom for a brief nap to make up for lost sleep from the morning.

With the move complete, life settled back into routine for the young family. Although they were now 180 km from London it made no difference thanks to magical transport. Luna continued her work three days a week and was happy that her energy seemed to returning. The shop was busier than ever and, as Fred approached his fifth birthday, George counted the days until he could introduce his son to the shop.

Two weeks after the move, the extended Weasley clan received the happy news that Ginny was expecting again. Luna was thrilled for her, as she knew the Potters had been trying for a while and Ginny was getting frustrated. Hermione's pregnancy was also proceeding well and she and Luna compared notes whenever the family would get together. Two months after Ginny's announcement, Fleur made her own when she announced that baby three was on the way. Molly was in a tizzy with her family's baby boom and Arthur wondered if there was any yarn left in Britain that she hadn't bought.

Three days before their fifth month in the new house, Luna was at home with kids and feeling especially bad as her due date rapidly approached. Just as she settled onto a couch after putting the kids down for naps, a patronus arrived. The small dog immediately began speaking with Ron's voice and announced that Hermione was in labor, but told Luna that Hermione wanted her to stay home with the kids and rest. As much as she wanted to be there with the family, Luna had to agree that she was too tired for a long wait at the hospital. Instead, she sent off several patronuses to the family and offered to take care of the kids while others went. Soon, Ginny appeared in the floo with James and took her up on the offer. Next, Percy arrived with Molly and then Fleur arrived with her two girls. Finally, Arthur arrived and dropped off little Rose, who would soon become a big sister. Luna settled the new arrivals as best as possible and went to start preparing dinner for the full house.

That evening, as Luna was cleaning up eight messy children, George apparated home from the hospital with news. Hermione had delivered a gorgeous little boy they named Hugo John. Non sibling children under six weren't allowed to visit, but George sent Luna on her way while he took over the cleanup duties. Luna apparated to the apparition point for St. Mungo's and made her way inside. It didn't take long to find the large Weasley clan, who all embraced her and thanked her for babysitting. Then she went into Hermione's room and met baby Hugo. He was definitely a Weasley, but also showed his mother's influence. He had red hair, but darker than his father's and quite curly. His skin was porcelain he had incredible long eyelashes. As Luna cuddled him, she felt her own child kick and respond. As she put her hand to her large belly, the healer who was in the room to check on Hermione shot her a look. Luna chuckled and shook her head. She wasn't ready to deliver quite yet. After staying for a while and talking with the family, Luna headed home. When she arrived, Bill and Percy had already picked up their kids, leaving just James and Rose. All the kids were playing in the living room and George sat, looking exhausted. He smiled as Luna entered.

"Hi Luna love. May I just say that I don't think I want nine of our own?"

Luna laughed. "No, I think five will be enough to keep us busy for now."

She went and sat next to George on the couch and he placed a hand on her belly, eliciting a kick from the baby and a groan from Luna.

"Not long now love."

"A while yet. My due date is nine days, but I think this little one is going to be stubborn. I think it will be a bit longer."

Luna's prediction was correct when her due date came and went with no sign that the new addition was ready to make an appearance. Luna was ready, but nothing she did seemed to make an impact on the stubborn child. Finally, sixteen days late, Luna was apparating home from a quick grocery trip when her water broke as she arrived. She immediately sent George a patronus and he was home within minutes. Ginny arrived minutes later to take the kids to the Burrow while George took Luna to St. Mungo's. Within a half hour of her water breaking, Luna was at the hospital and being admitted. The family began to trickle in after, everyone except Arthur, who agreed to stay at the Burrow with all the kids. Several of his sons chuckled at the idea of their father trying to manage all his grandkids, but they hoped it wouldn't be too long. Luna was also hoping the same.

Seven hours after she arrived, Luna and the others got their wish when the stubborn baby decided to finally make an appearance. A squalling nine pound baby girl arrived with just four pushes. She was pink and beautiful with wisps of fine reddish-gold hair. Her parents were overjoyed and christened her Fiona Catherine. The entire family all took their turns exclaiming over her beauty. As soon as she had taken her turn, Fleur headed back to the Burrow to deliver the news and relieve Arthur from his duties. A few minutes later, he arrived to meet his newest granddaughter. Due to the late hour and the fact the kids were asleep, it was agreed that the older kids would meet their sister the next morning. Once the last of the family trickled out for the evening, Luna settled back and stared at her daughter in her bassinet before falling asleep.

The next morning brought most of the family back to the hospital, including Molly and Arthur with Fiona's four siblings. Fred, Lorry, Sander and Roxy all seemed entranced at the new baby and, remarkably, Fiona remained quiet and just stared at each of them. George and Arthur carefully lifted all four of the older children onto Luna's bed. She was holding Fiona and then George leaned over and kissed her as Arthur took a picture. The family was now complete.

o-o-o-o

 _And here I am going to wrap this story. This started off as a small plot bunny and then I had some other ideas of where I was going to take this. I thought it might be interesting to pursue the kids as a powerful magic team, but now I don't know. I'm not sure why, but this story has very low views and is my least popular story since the first story I ever wrote back when my style still needed a lot of work. I guess this pairing is not popular. I admit it's frustrating, but I wanted to at least complete it to this point. Unless there's a catastrophe, I won't ever leave any of my stories incomplete. For those of you who have read and those who have also reviewed, my thanks. I hope this ending satisfies._


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